A cursive capital B is a slanted stem from the top line to the baseline, followed by two curves to the right: a smaller one that ends at the midline and a larger one that ends at the baseline. A lowercase cursive b is an undercurve up to a loop at the top line, a downstroke to the baseline, a short climb back to the midline, and a small checkstroke that leads into the next letter.
How to write B in cursive, step by step
The steps follow a Zaner-Bloser-style school cursive. Some models lift the pen after the capital's stem and start the bumps as a second stroke; others retrace the stem without lifting. Both produce the same letter.
Capital B
Start at the top line and pull a slanted stroke straight down to the baseline.
Retrace up the stem to the top line, or lift and start again at the top of the stem.
Curve forward to the right and back in to the stem at the midline. This is the upper bump.
Make a small loop or point where the bump meets the stem.
Curve forward again, wider this time, and back to the stem at the baseline.
Finish with a short curve to the right, just past the stem.
The lower bump should be a little wider than the upper one. When both are the same size, or the top one is bigger, the B looks like it will tip over to the right.
Lowercase b
Start at the baseline and make an undercurve up to the top line.
Loop to the left and pull a slant stroke down to the baseline, crossing the upstroke near the midline.
At the baseline, curve up and to the right, climbing back to the midline.
Make a small checkstroke: a short dip and flick to the right at the midline.
Carry the checkstroke straight into the next letter. It never drops back to the baseline.
The checkstroke is what separates b from l. Without it, the bottom of the letter opens up and the reader sees an l followed by a stray curve.
12 ways to write B
The capital B keeps its stem-and-two-bumps skeleton in almost every style. Copperplate and Spencerian shade the stem and often start it with a long hairline entry that curls in from the left. Brush and bouncy modern styles exaggerate the size difference between the two bumps, sometimes making the lower one twice as wide. Gothic turns the bumps into angular, stacked strokes with a heavy vertical stem.
For the lowercase b, look at how each style handles the checkstroke. Pointed-pen styles keep it as a tiny hairline, while italic replaces the loop with a straight ascender and closes the bowl with a single curve.
Common mistakes with B
the lowercase b ends at the baseline instead of the midline, so the checkstroke disappears and the letter reads as le or l
the bottom of the lowercase b is left open, so the join to the next letter looks like part of an l
the capital B's upper bump is as big as or bigger than the lower one, so the letter looks top-heavy
the capital B's lower bump does not return to the stem, so it reads as an R
If you fix only one thing, fix the end of the lowercase b. Stop at the midline, make the checkstroke, and let the next letter start from there.
Joining B to other letters
The lowercase b is one of the few letters that leaves from the midline instead of the baseline, along with o, v and w. That changes every join after it. In "br" and "bl" the exit stroke rises from the checkstroke, which works naturally. In "be" the e has to begin with a small dip below the midline, or its loop will close up. In "bo", "bu" and "by" keep the connecting stroke level and do not let it sag toward the baseline, which turns the b into an l.
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Br
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Be
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Bl
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Bo
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Bu
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
By
The capital B usually does not join in school cursive. Leave a small space after it and give the next letter its own entry stroke.
Practice B
The B sheet has the capital and lowercase forms to trace, then rows of the joins above, with "be" and "bo" written twice. Trace each one three times before writing it freehand. It prints on US Letter or A4.
Because the checkstroke is missing or has slid down to the baseline. The loop and stem of a b are the same as an l, so the bottom of the letter is the only thing telling the reader which one you meant. Close the bottom curve against the midline, make a clear checkstroke, and keep the join to the next letter at midline height. The capital B has a similar problem with R: if the lower bump is flat or open, it reads as an R's leg.
Does the cursive capital B connect to the next letter?
In Zaner-Bloser and most US school models it does not. The B finishes with a short curve near the stem, and the next letter starts fresh. Some modern scripts extend that final curve into a connecting stroke, which is fine as long as the lower bump stays closed.
How do you write a fancy capital B for a monogram?
Start the stem with a long entry hairline that loops around the left side, then make the two bumps with a heavy downstroke on each. In copperplate, the shade goes on the stem and on the right side of the lower bump. For a monogram, keep the inside of both bumps open and even, because those counters are what make the B recognizable at small sizes.
Where does the letter B come from?
B comes from the Phoenician letter beth, a word for house. The Greeks adapted it as beta, which gave the alphabet its name with alpha. The Romans rounded the two bumps into the shape still used today.
