A cursive capital E is a small downcurve from the top line to the midline, a tiny loop, and a larger downcurve from the midline to the baseline that ends in an undercurve. A lowercase cursive e is an undercurve that rises to the midline, loops back to the left, and curves down to the baseline before exiting.
How to write E in cursive, step by step
The steps follow a Zaner-Bloser-style school cursive. The capital E starts like a capital C and the lowercase e is the shortest looped letter, so both depend on stopping each curve at the right height.
Capital E
Start a little below the top line and curve up to it, making a small hook like the start of a C.
Make a small downcurve to the left, ending at the midline.
At the midline, make a tiny loop that points left, toward the inside of the letter.
Make a second, larger downcurve to the left, around the bottom at the baseline.
Finish with an undercurve to the right. The capital E joins the next letter.
The top curve should be the smaller of the two. When the top is as big as the bottom, or bigger, the E looks top-heavy and starts to resemble a 3 written backward.
Lowercase e
Start at the baseline, or from the previous letter, with an undercurve that rises toward the right.
At the midline, loop back to the left.
Come down on a slant, crossing the upstroke a little above the baseline.
Curve around at the baseline and exit with an undercurve.
The loop should fill about the upper half of the x-height. A loop that reaches above the midline turns the e into an l, and one that is pinched shut leaves something close to an undotted i.
12 ways to write E
E splits into two families across the styles. Cursive and pointed-pen scripts keep the stacked-curve capital, and in copperplate the lower curve carries a heavy shade on the left with a teardrop at the midline loop. Gothic and italic use a capital closer to the printed E or to a rounded uncial form, with a crossbar or a closed top. Brush styles often push the midline loop outward into a small flourish that sticks out to the left.
The lowercase e changes less between styles than almost any other letter. What does change is the angle of the loop: modern and bouncy styles tilt it, while Spencerian keeps it very narrow and upright to the slant.
Common mistakes with E
the loop rises above the midline, so the e reads as an l
the loop is pinched shut, so the e looks like an undotted i
the capital E's top curve is as big as the bottom one, so it reads as a backward 3
the capital E's midline loop is skipped, so the two curves meet in a point
Most lowercase e mistakes are about the loop's size. Practicing a row of e's against an l or two shows at once whether your e is creeping upward.
Joining E to other letters
The lowercase e leaves from the baseline with an undercurve, so it joins like most letters. "Er" and "es" make the exit climb above the midline to reach the r's shoulder or the s's point, which is where e's loop often gets squeezed. "En" and "em" need the exit to curve over into a hump. "Ea" and "ed" bring the exit up and back to start an oval. Because e is so common inside words, a steady e join does more for the look of your writing than any capital.
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Er
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Es
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
En
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Em
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Ea
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Ed
Joining into an e matters as well. After letters that leave from the midline, such as b, o, v and w, the e has to begin with a small dip so that the loop still has room to open.
Practice E
The E sheet starts with a row of e loops, then the capital E, the lowercase e and the joins. Trace each row three times and then write it freehand. Print at 100% on US Letter or A4.
Why does the cursive capital E look like a backward 3?
Because that is its basic construction: two curves that open to the right, joined at the midline. The difference is the loop at the join and the undercurve at the end. In a well-formed E, the loop is small and points into the letter, and the lower curve is clearly wider than the upper one. If your E reads as a 3, shrink the top curve and make the midline loop more visible.
How do you stop a cursive e from looking like an l?
Keep the top of the loop at the midline and no higher. The e and the l are the same motion at different heights, so the only difference the reader sees is how tall the loop is. Write "le" and "el" slowly, watching the e stop at the midline each time.
How do you write a calligraphy e with a pointed pen?
Use light pressure on the upstroke and loop, so they stay thin, then press as the stroke comes down the left side and release before the baseline turn. The shade belongs on the downstroke only. If the loop fills in with ink, open it a little wider or write slower so the nib has time to close.
Where does the letter E come from?
E comes from the Phoenician letter he. The Greeks adapted it as epsilon, and the Romans passed it on in roughly the form used now. The rounded lowercase e developed later, as scribes wrote the letter in one quick looped stroke.
