A cursive capital H is usually two strokes: a left stem that starts with a curve forward at the top, then a right stem that comes down, retraces up to the midline and makes a small loop that stands in for the crossbar. A lowercase cursive h is a tall loop to the top line, a downstroke to the baseline, then a single hump that rises to the midline and comes back down to an undercurve.
How to write H in cursive, step by step
The steps follow a Zaner-Bloser-style school cursive. The capital H is one of the few capitals that needs a pen lift. Other models change the entry curve but keep the two-stem shape.
Capital H
Start a little below the top line, curve forward and up to it, and pull a slanted stem down to the baseline.
Lift the pen. Start at the top line to the right of the first stem and curve back slightly.
Pull a second slanted stem down to the baseline, parallel to the first.
Retrace up the second stem to the midline.
Make a small loop to the left, reaching toward the first stem, and come back to the right across the second stem.
Finish with a curve to the right. In many models this leads into the next letter.
The two stems should lean at the same angle. If the second stem is more upright than the first, the H looks like it is falling apart at the top.
Lowercase h
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.
Retrace up the stem a short way, then branch out in an overcurve to make a hump that reaches the midline.
Pull a slant stroke down from the hump to the baseline.
Exit with an undercurve.
The hump is a single n-shaped arch. It should leave the stem near the baseline and peak at the midline, not halfway up.
12 ways to write H
H is a letter of two stems, and styles change mainly how the stems are linked. School cursive and Spencerian use the midline loop. Copperplate often starts the left stem with a long, curling entry stroke and gives both stems a heavy shade. Gothic and italic use a printed-style H, with a real crossbar or with the right side turned into a hump like the lowercase. Brush and bouncy modern styles often let the crossbar loop swing wide across the letter as a flourish.
In the lowercase, look at the ascender. Some styles loop it, some keep it straight, and the flourished versions curl it back over the hump.
Common mistakes with H
the hump closes against the stem, so the h reads as a k
the hump branches from halfway up the stem instead of near the baseline, so it looks like li or a short l
the ascender loop stops short of the top line, so the h reads as an n
the capital H's two stems lean at different angles
The h mistake readers notice most is a hump that closes up at the bottom. Keep the space under the arch open and the h stays an h.
Joining H to other letters
The lowercase h ends with the same undercurve as an n, so it joins the next letter from the baseline. "He", "hi" and "hu" are easy because the exit simply rises into the next letter. "Ha" and "ho" ask the exit to climb and turn back to start an oval right after the hump, which can make the two letters crowd together. "Th" and "sh" are common pairs too, but they teach the entry into the h's tall loop rather than its exit.
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Ha
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
He
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Hi
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Ho
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Hu
The capital H joins in many school models through the curve at the end of the crossbar loop. Names like Hannah and Henry make good practice words.
Practice H
The H sheet gives the capital H, with the pen lift marked, then the lowercase h and the joins. Trace each row three times, then write it freehand below. Print at 100% on US Letter or A4.
The two letters share the loop and stem. The difference is what comes after: an h has an open, rounded hump, while a k has a small closed buckle at the midline followed by a kick out to the baseline. If your hump gets pinched or closes against the stem, it reads as a k's buckle. Round the top of the hump and keep the downstroke clearly separate from the stem.
Is the cursive capital H written in one stroke or two?
In Zaner-Bloser and most US school models it is two strokes, with a lift between the stems. Some older and adult hands write it in one stroke by joining the first stem to the second with a loop at the top, which looks closer to a K. Either is readable if the midline loop is clear.
How do you write a capital H for a signature?
Keep the two stems and make one feature large. A common choice is to stretch the entry curve on the left stem into a wide loop over the top, or to extend the crossbar loop to the right so it runs into the rest of the name. Because the H has two stems, keep their slant identical even when everything else is exaggerated.
