anA baseline join: the a closes at the top, then swings into 2 humps.
chA round letter into a tall loop. It is in each, much, chair and lunch.
eaA small loop into a round letter. It is in each, eat, read and please.
eeTwo small loops of the same size. If one closes, it reads as an i without a dot.
erA baseline join. The e loop and the flat shoulder of r should not blur into one shape.
inA baseline join: one downstroke, then 2 humps. The dot comes last.
Show all 34 cursive drills (28 more)
Join pairs to repeat across a row, continued
llA double tall loop. Both reach the top line and both stay open.
ng2 humps, then a loop under the baseline. It ends sing, hang and spring.
quq loops under the baseline to the right and comes up into u.
stA baseline join that climbs into t, a tall letter with no loop. Keep the t shorter than an l.
thA baseline join, and the most useful pair to get smooth. The cross of t waits until the word is done.
Words with a steady rhythm 11
cinnamon3 n's and an m: 9 humps in 8 letters.
common2 o's and a double m, all small letters of one height.
hummingbird11 letters, with 2 m's side by side: 6 humps in a row.
lemonade2 e's to keep open, and a d with no loop before the last e.
million2 i's to dot and a double l between them.
minnowAn m and 2 n's: 7 humps before the o.
remember3 e's and 2 m's. Keep every e loop open, so none reads as an i.
running3 n's. Each has 2 humps, and the word ends under the baseline.
summerA double m: 6 humps in a row between the u and the e.
swimming2 m's, an n and 2 i's: 8 humps and 2 dots, and the word ends under the baseline.
tomorrow3 o's and a double r. Close each o at the top.
Words with loops above and below 6
fizzy2 z's. In this style z loops under the baseline like y.
follow2 l's and an f, the letter that loops both above and below.
hello2 l's next to an h: three tall loops in five letters.
jellyIt starts and ends under the baseline, with a double tall loop in the middle.
qualityq and y loop under, l loops over, and t has no loop at all.
yellow2 l's, a y that loops under the baseline, and ow at the end.
Sign-offs for cards and letters 6
All the best,Three words to close a card. The capital A runs into the double l.
Many thanks,Two words, 10 letters. The capital M runs into the a.
See you soon,Three short words with a double e and a double o, ending in a comma so the name goes on the next row.
Sincerely yours,A close for a letter, with its comma. 2 e's to keep open.
Take care,Two words, 8 letters. The capital T stands apart from the a.
Warmly,One word, 6 letters. The capital W stands apart, and the word ends under the baseline.
How this list was compiled: Written for this site on 2026-09-18 and revised on 2026-09-20. Spellings were checked against a dictionary word list, and every count of letters, humps and dots in a note was counted. Letter shapes are those of the tool's Looped cursive style. Every join pair runs along the baseline: no entry describes the join after b, o, v or w, because the tool does not yet draw that join the way a teacher writes it. No entry is a person's name or a brand. Licence: own work
All 79 cursive lines
Lowercase letters by shape 8
a c d g o q6 letters that start like a c: over the top, then back round to the left. Learn the c and the other five follow.
abcdefghijklmThe first 13 letters in one row. 5 of them carry a tall loop: b, f, h, k and l.
d t2 tall letters with no loop: the pencil climbs and comes back down the same line. At Medium d reaches the 14 mm top line and t stops near 10 mm.
Show all 79 cursive lines (76 more)
Lowercase letters by shape, continued
e l b h k f6 looped letters. e is the small loop, and l, b, h, k and f carry the same loop up to the top line.
f g j p q y z7 letters drop under the baseline in this style, 2 more than in print: f and z join g, j, p, q and y.
i u w t r s j p8 letters reached by a swing up from the baseline. r and s rise a touch above the dashed line before they turn.
m n v x y z6 letters that start with a hump over the top. Cursive m has 3 humps and n has 2, which is the mix-up to watch.
nopqrstuvwxyzThe last 13 letters in one row. 4 of them drop under the baseline: p, q, y and z.
Joins along the baseline 8
a minute at a time5 words, 14 letters, and every letter is reached along the baseline. Keep each swing between letters the same width.
a quiet street at night5 words with 7 dots and crosses, every one of them added after its word is finished.
his ship is in the east6 short words, 18 letters. The s closes back on its own upstroke before it swings out to the next letter.
my aunt planted mint and parsley6 words, 27 letters. Good for keeping the n, m and u shapes apart at speed.
nine shiny marching ants4 words full of n and m humps. Count them as you trace: 2 humps for n, 3 for m.
pass the salt and the jam, please7 words. Double s in pass: write the second s as a copy of the first, the same height and the same lean.
pick a plain pale pink paint6 words, 5 of which start with p. Each p dips under the baseline and comes back up to join the next letter.
untie the little kite4 words in which every join runs along the baseline. The 8 dots and crosses wait until each word is done.
Tall loops and letters under the baseline 8
a fluffy yellow ball of fuzz11 tall loops and 9 letters under the baseline in 6 words. The ff in fluffy counts on both lists.
a happy puppy yapping11 letters under the baseline in 4 words. At Medium each one hangs about 7 mm, as deep as the small letters are tall.
all the hills fell still11 tall loops in 5 words. Every loop should be the same height and slim enough to see through.
half of the fifth waffle6 of the letter f in 5 words. Each f is one long downstroke with a loop above and a loop below.
jump, jog, zigzag, fly10 letters under the baseline. Cursive z is one of them: it looks like a 3 with a loop under it.
the kettle fell off the shelf12 tall loops, and 4 of the letter f, the only letter that reaches the top line and drops under the baseline too.
lazy, hazy, fizzy, dizzy6 of the letter z in 4 words. Give the two in fizzy and dizzy the same loop, side by side.
quietly jogging by the quay9 letters under the baseline. q loops to the right and g loops to the left: check the two against each other.
Dots and crosses, added after the word 7
initial it, then date it10 marks to add. initial has 3 dots and a cross of its own, all added after the final l.
just jotting a quick list9 marks to add. jotting alone takes 4: a dot for j, two crosses and a dot for i, working left to right.
mix it with a little juice11 marks to add in 6 words. The x gets its cross after the word, one slanted stroke through the letter.
sit still, then finish the title11 marks to add in 6 words: 5 dots and 6 crosses.
sixty tiny kittens8 marks to add in 3 words: finish each word, then go back to dot each i and cross each t and x.
tattered cotton mittens7 crosses and 1 dot in 3 words. One long cross can cover both letters of a double t.
the taxi exits at exit six13 marks to add in 6 words, 4 of them the cross of an x.
Capitals that join and capitals that stand apart 11
12 Maple Lane, Apartment 3An envelope line with 3 joining capitals, M, L and A, and 3 digits, which stay unjoined.
A C E J K L M7 of the 14 capitals that run into the next letter. J is one of 3 capitals that drop a full tail under the baseline.
Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Maine4 place names whose capitals join: A, C, K and M run straight into the next letter.
B D F O P T V W8 capitals that stand apart: finish the capital, lift, and start the next letter fresh.
Boston, Denver, Portland, Tampa4 place names whose capitals stand apart: lift after B, D, P and T.
Dear Mom and Dad,4 words and 3 capitals: lift after each D, but let the M run into the o.
G H I SThe 4 capitals left over from the two join rows and the stand-apart row. Trace where each one stops before you start the next letter.
N Q R U X Y ZThe other 7 capitals that join. Q looks like a large 2 in this style and dips a little under the baseline, and Y and Z drop a full tail.
Ohio, Vermont, Wyoming, Florida4 capitals that stand apart: O, V, W and F. Start the second letter close, so the word does not split in two.
Quebec, Jamaica, Zambia, Laos4 joining capitals: Q, J, Z and L. J and Z drop a full tail under the baseline, and Q dips a little.
Utah, Nevada, Reno, Yuma4 joining capitals: U, N, R and Y. The Y drops under the baseline before it swings into u.
Short sentences 13
A warm wind moved the wheat.6 words, 22 letters, and 3 of the words start with w. Keep the 3 w's the same width.
Every letter leans the same way.6 words, 26 letters. Draw a slanted line through any tall letter: the others should run parallel to it.
Finish the word, then cross the t.7 words, 6 marks to add after the words are written.
Keep the pencil on the paper.6 words, 23 letters. The rule of cursive, written in cursive.
Leave room for an o between words.7 words. The gap between words is one letter o wide, and the gap inside a word is only the join.
Lift only at the end of a word.8 words. 5 of them have three letters or fewer, so the spaces do as much work as the letters.
Loops stay open and slim.5 words with 1 tall loop and 3 letters under the baseline to keep open.
Morning rain ran down the window.6 words, 27 letters, and 6 of the letter n. Every n gets 2 humps.
Practice makes a steady hand.5 words, 24 letters, and every join runs along the baseline. The capital P stands apart from the r.
The river runs down to the sea.7 words. Cursive r has a flat shoulder, and this line has 3 of them to practice.
Slow writing turns into smooth writing.6 words, 33 letters. The word writing appears twice: match the second to the first.
Small letters touch the dashed line.6 words, 30 letters. In this style r and s are the 2 small letters that rise just over the dashed line.
We sailed across the bay at noon.7 words, 26 letters. across has a double s and noon a double o: make the second letter of each pair a copy of the first.
Longer sentences 8
A signature is a name written in your own hand.10 words, 37 letters. signature alone has 2 marks to add, a dot and a cross.
Cursive comes from a Latin word for running.8 words, 36 letters. The Latin word is currere, to run: the pencil runs on from letter to letter.
The ferry leaves the harbor at half past seven.9 words, 38 letters, with 2 of the letter f and 4 of the letter h.
The garden gate swung open in the evening breeze.9 words, 40 letters, with 4 of the letter g, each looping under the baseline.
My grandmother wrote every recipe card by hand.8 words, 39 letters. grandmother is 11 letters with no lift.
Our mail carrier waved as she crossed the street.9 words, 40 letters, with 3 double letters: rr, ss and ee.
Please sign and date the form on the last line.10 words, 37 letters. The sentence most adults write in cursive without noticing.
We walked home along the canal as the lamps came on.11 words, 41 letters. Every a closes at the top before it joins the next letter.
Pangrams: every letter in one sentence 6
Judge the five lazy boxers quickly, then wrap my gift.All 26 letters in 43 letters. It starts with a capital J, one of the 3 that drop a full tail under the baseline.
Jump over the crazy quilt, fix my bow and hug the kids.All 26 letters in 42 letters and 12 words. A good monthly check: date each copy and compare.
Pale wizards from the dusky north quickly boxed up seven jugs.All 26 letters in 51 letters and 11 words.
Quietly, the black fox jumped over a dozen glowing spider webs.All 26 letters in 51 letters, opening with the capital Q that looks like a 2.
Six lazy hawks jumped over the big quiet fence.All 26 letters in 38 letters and 9 words, written for this page.
Vexing jazz bands play quick, wild tunes for me and the cat.All 26 letters in 47 letters and 12 words, with a double z to loop twice.
Cards, notes and sign-offs 10
Congratulations on your new home.5 words. Congratulations is 15 letters written without a lift, the longest word on this page.
Happy birthday, with all my love.6 words, 26 letters, with 5 letters under the baseline.
It was so good to see you again.8 short words, 24 letters. Nothing here is longer than 5 letters, so the spacing shows.
Please join us for dinner on Friday.7 words, 29 letters. Both capitals, P and F, stand apart from the letter after them.
Thank you for the lovely flowers.6 words for a thank-you card. The capital T stands apart from the h.
Thinking of you this week.5 words, 21 letters. Thinking has 2 dots to add once the word is done.
Warm regards to the whole family,6 words to close a letter, ending in a comma.
Wishing you a quick recovery.5 words, 24 letters, for a get-well card.
With love and best wishes,5 words to close a card, ending in a comma so the name goes on the next row.
Yours sincerely,2 words, 14 letters. The capital Y drops under the baseline and runs into the o.
How this list was compiled: Written for this site on 2026-09-18 and revised on 2026-09-20. The letter shapes described here are those of the tool's Looped cursive style (the Playwrite US Trad font, SIL Open Font License), read from the font on 2026-09-18: which lowercase letters drop under the baseline (f, g, j, p, q, y, z), which carry a tall loop (b, f, h, k, l), how high d and t reach, which capitals run into the next letter, and how far the capitals J, Q, Y and Z go under the baseline. Capitals G, H, I and S were not clear enough to describe, so no line makes a claim about them. No line describes the join after b, o, v or w, because the tool does not yet draw that join the way a teacher writes it. The meaning of the word cursive (from Medieval Latin cursivus, running) was checked at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursive on 2026-09-18. The six pangrams were written for this site and are not on the list at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangram (checked 2026-09-18); each was checked to contain all 26 letters. Every count of words, letters, tall loops, letters under the baseline, dots and crosses was counted. Place names are ordinary geographic names and state no fact. No line names a real person, a handwriting program or a character from a book, film, show or game. Licence: own work
How it works
These 79 cursive practice sentences and rows come in 9 groups: letters by shape, baseline joins, loops, dots and crosses, capitals, sentences, 6 pangrams and 10 lines for cards. The sheet opens in Looped cursive at Medium, 14 mm.
Read the full guide
Choose a line by the stroke it trains
The list under the tool sorts all 79 lines by what they train: copy one into the box. The sheet opens on Practice makes a steady hand., where every join runs along the baseline. Start with the 8 baseline-join lines, then loops, then dots and crosses. In this style f and z grow tails, so 7 letters drop to the fourth line.
Rows on a page, and single words
At Medium a Letter or A4 page holds 9 rows: 3 rows of text, each traced twice with an empty row under it. A pangram wraps onto 3 rows and fills the page. For cursive practice words, open More options and set What to practice to Cursive drills: 34 join pairs, words and sign-offs, repeated across each row.
Save the 6 pangrams for Friday. Each uses every letter, so one copy shows which shapes still wobble.
When traced rows look steady, set Rows to trace to 1. Half the rows are then empty, to write alone.
Questions and answers
Can I save these free printable cursive handwriting worksheets as a PDF?
Yes. Every sheet is free. Press Print worksheet, then choose Save as PDF in the browser's print window. Share link reopens the same sheet with whatever was typed, so clear any names before you send it.
Does this work as cursive handwriting practice for adults?
Yes. Set Letter height to Small, 10 mm, and a page holds 12 rows. The 10 lines for cards and notes and the 6 sign-offs under Cursive drills were written for adults. Cursive practice for adults opens at that size and holds more such lines.
What is a good sentence to practice cursive?
A pangram, because it uses all 26 letters. Six lazy hawks jumped over the big quiet fence does it in 38. Before that, pick a short line that trains one thing, such as all the hills fell still for tall loops.