A cursive capital Q is written much like a large number 2: a curved stroke that starts near the top line, swings around to the right and down to the baseline, makes a small loop lying on the baseline and finishes with a curve to the right. A lowercase cursive q starts with a small oval at the midline like an a, drops a straight stroke below the baseline, then loops forward to the right and comes back up to close at the baseline before an undercurve out.
How to write Q in cursive, step by step
The steps follow a Zaner-Bloser-style school cursive. The capital Q in this model has no oval at all, so set aside the printed Q while learning it.
Capital Q
Start a little below the top line, to the left. Curve up and over to the right, reaching the top line.
Curve down the right side, then slant down and to the left toward the baseline.
At the baseline, make a small loop lying on the line.
Finish with a curve to the right along the baseline. In school cursive the capital Q does not join.
The top curve should be full and round, wider than the loop at the bottom. If the top is cramped, the Q looks like a quickly scribbled 2 rather than a letter.
Lowercase q
Start just below the midline. Make a downcurve to the left, around the bottom and back up to the midline.
Close the oval at the midline.
Pull a straight slant stroke down the right side of the oval, through the baseline to the descender line.
Loop forward to the right and come back up so the loop closes against the stem at the baseline.
Exit with an undercurve.
The top half of the q is the same as an a, d or g. The direction of the bottom loop is what matters: the g loops back to the left, the q loops forward to the right.
12 ways to write Q
Q is the letter where styles are most likely to disagree on the basic shape. Pointed-pen styles such as copperplate and Spencerian use the 2-shaped capital or an oval with a long tail that sweeps under the next letter. Gothic and italic use an oval or a rounded diamond with a short tail crossing the bottom right. Modern and brush styles often keep the oval and turn the tail into a flourish, which is closer to what most people expect a Q to look like.
The tail is the part to watch in each tile. Where it starts and how far it travels decides whether the Q reads as a Q or as an O with a mark on it.
Common mistakes with Q
the lowercase q's bottom loop turns back to the left, so the q reads as a g
the forward loop closes below the baseline instead of at it, leaving a long open tail
the oval of the lowercase q is left open at the top, so it reads as a u with a tail
the top curve of the capital Q is cramped and smaller than the base loop, so the Q looks like a scribbled 2
The lowercase q and g are the pair most often swapped. Check the bottom loop of every q: it should close on the right side of the stem.
Joining Q to other letters
In English the q is almost always followed by u, so "qu" is the join that matters. The forward loop brings the pen up to the baseline on the right of the stem, and the exit runs straight into the u's first undercurve. "Qa" and "qi" turn up in a few names and borrowed words, and "qe" makes a useful extra drill because the e starts from the same undercurve. All four teach the same exit: close the loop at the baseline first, then leave.
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Qu
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Qa
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Qi
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Qe
The capital Q does not join in school cursive. In "Qu" at the start of a word, leave a small gap after the Q and start the u fresh.
Practice Q
The Q sheet starts with the oval and the forward loop on their own, then the capital Q, the lowercase q and the joins to trace. Print it at 100% scale on US Letter or A4.
School cursive models gave the capital Q a shape that can be written in one quick movement without lifting the pen, and the result happens to look like a numeral 2. Many adults today write a printed-style Q with an oval and a tail even when the rest of their handwriting is cursive, and it reads perfectly well.
How do you tell a cursive q from a g?
Look at the bottom loop. Both letters have the same oval at the top and a straight downstroke below the baseline. The g loops back to the left and crosses its stem at the baseline. The q loops forward to the right and closes against the stem. If the q's loop is drawn to the left by habit, the word "quiet" turns into "guiet".
Why is the cursive Q so hard to remember?
Because it is rare. Q is one of the least used letters in English, so most people write it a few times a year and never build the habit. The capital is the bigger problem, since it shares nothing with the printed letter. Writing a short list of Q words, such as "Queen", "Quebec" and "quiet", now and then is the simplest fix.
Where does the letter Q come from?
Q comes from the Phoenician letter qoph, which stood for a sound made further back in the throat than K. Early Greek used it as koppa before dropping it. The Romans kept Q and used it almost only before u, which is why English still pairs the two letters.
