A cursive capital C starts just below the top line with a small hook, swings around in a large downcurve to the baseline, and exits with an undercurve that joins the next letter. A lowercase cursive c climbs to the midline, makes a small hook, curves down and around to the baseline, and leaves with an undercurve.
How to write C in cursive, step by step
These steps follow a Zaner-Bloser-style school cursive. The capital and lowercase C are nearly the same shape at two sizes, which makes C a good letter for checking your slant.
Capital C
Start a little below the top line, toward the right side of where the letter will sit.
Curve up to the top line and over to the left, making a small hook.
Continue into a large downcurve to the left, around the bottom at the baseline.
Come up the right side only slightly, then finish with an undercurve that leads into the next letter.
The opening on the right side of the C should face the same direction as your slant, up and to the right. If the C opens straight to the right, it will look upright next to the letters that follow.
Lowercase c
Begin with an undercurve from the baseline, or from the previous letter, up to the midline.
At the midline, make a small hook: go slightly right, then turn back to the left.
Make a downcurve to the left and around to the baseline.
Exit with an undercurve.
The hook is small but it carries the letter. A c without it is just a curve; a c whose hook is drawn as a loop becomes an e.
12 ways to write C
C has no stem, so every style shows its character in a single curve. In copperplate and Spencerian the downcurve gets one swelling shade on the left side, and the hook at the top is often a small ball or teardrop. Brush and bouncy modern styles make the C wider and let the exit stroke swing well below the baseline. Gothic breaks the curve into two or three straight, angled strokes, and italic narrows it into an oval shape that leans hard.
Because C is open on one side, it is a common first letter for flourishing. Try extending the entry hook into a loop that wraps over the top of the whole letter, as some of the tiles do.
Common mistakes with C
the hook at the top of the lowercase c is drawn as a loop, so the c reads as an e
the hook is skipped, leaving a plain curve that looks like an unfinished a or o
the capital C opens straight to the right instead of along the slant, so it stands upright next to the rest of the word
the downcurve is too narrow, so the c is squeezed against the letter that follows
The most common C error is closing the curve into a loop at the top. Keep a visible gap between the hook and the downcurve.
Joining C to other letters
The lowercase c leaves from the baseline with an ordinary undercurve, so it joins the next letter from below. "Ch", "cl" and "ck" are easy because the next letter climbs straight up from the exit. "Ca" and "co" are harder: the exit has to rise to the midline, then travel back left to start the next oval, and a lazy join flattens the c's curve. Writing c twice in a row, as in "cc", tests whether both hooks stay open.
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Ch
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Ca
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Co
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Cl
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Ck
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Cr
The capital C joins as well, which makes it one of the easier capitals for names like Clara or Charles.
Practice C
The C sheet begins with rows of downcurves, then the capital C, the lowercase c and the joins. Trace each line three times, then write it in the blank rows. Print at 100% on US Letter or A4.
Because the hook at the top has turned into a loop. In an e, the stroke goes up, loops back left and crosses itself. In a c, it goes up, turns, and comes back down without crossing. Slow down at the midline, make the turn as a small point or tight curve, and then start the downcurve. The letter E page shows the two strokes side by side.
How do you write a fancy capital C?
Begin with the school cursive C and enlarge the hook into a loop or a teardrop at the top. Then add weight to the left side of the downcurve with pressure, thick in the middle and thin at each end. A long exit hairline that sweeps under the next few letters finishes it. Keep the inside of the C clear, since crowding it with a flourish makes it hard to read.
Is C one of the easiest letters to write in cursive?
It is one of the first ones taught, because the downcurve it uses is the same stroke that starts a, d, g, o and q. That also means a weak c causes trouble across the alphabet. If your ovals are uneven, practice rows of c until the curve is the same width and slant every time.
Where does the letter C come from?
C comes from the Greek gamma, which reached the Romans through the Etruscans. Early Latin used C for both the k sound and the g sound. Around the third century BC the Romans added a small stroke to C to make a separate letter for g, which is why C and G still share a shape.
