A cursive capital T is two strokes: a slanted stem that curls left at the baseline, and a wavy cap stroke across the top line. A lowercase cursive t is an upstroke that stops below the top line, a retrace straight back down with no loop, an exit stroke, and a cross added after the word is finished.
How to write T in cursive, step by step
These steps describe a Zaner-Bloser-style school cursive. Some models write the cap stroke first and the stem second; the shape you end up with is the same.
Capital T
Start at the top line. Pull a slanted stroke down to the baseline.
At the bottom, curve to the left and turn up slightly, finishing with a small hook.
Lift your pen. Start to the left of the stem, a little below the top line.
Make a small upward curve, then a wave to the right across the top of the stem. The wave should extend further right than left of the stem.
The capital T stands alone. Do not join it to the next letter; start the second letter with its own entry stroke a short gap away.
Lowercase t
Start at the baseline. Make an undercurve rising to about halfway between the midline and the top line.
Stop at a point. Retrace back down the same line, keeping it straight.
At the baseline, swing out with an undercurve to the right.
When the word is written, come back and cross the t with a short level stroke just above the midline.
The lowercase t is a "short ascender". It should be clearly taller than an i but clearly shorter than an l, h or k. Keeping that middle height is what makes it recognizable without a loop.
12 ways to write T
The capital T is the letter in this gallery that changes most with its cap stroke. In copperplate it becomes a long hairline wave with a shaded stem below. The bouncy modern T often drops the stem's curl and lets the cap stroke swoop low on one side. The gothic T is built from a broad horizontal top and a curved stem that looks closer to a C with a lid. The signature T stretches the cap stroke into a line that can cross the whole name.
For the lowercase t, compare the cross. Some styles cut it short and level, others sweep it upward from left to right, and a few connect it to the next letter's entry so the pen never lifts.
Common mistakes with T
the lowercase t is written with a loop, so it reads as an l
the lowercase t climbs all the way to the top line instead of stopping about halfway between the midline and the top line
the cross is placed at the very top of the stem or right on the midline, where it merges with the joins
the capital T's cap stroke is drawn too short on the right, so the stem looks off-center
The loop is the habit most worth breaking. A looped lowercase t is the main reason "tt" and "ll" look identical in rushed handwriting.
Joining T to other letters
The lowercase t exits from the baseline with an undercurve, so it leads into vowels and r cleanly. "Th" is the most common pair in English, and it needs two different heights side by side: a short t, then the tall loop of the h. In "tr", watch that the exit reaches the midline before the r's shoulder starts. With "to", the exit turns over at the midline into the o. Cross the t only after the whole word is down.
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Th
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Te
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Ti
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
To
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Tr
Hand-lettered exemplar coming soon
Ta
Practice T
Trace the capital T, the unlooped lowercase t and the joins on the free T sheet, then fill the blank rows from memory. The sheet prints on US Letter or A4.
In most cursive models, the only difference is the short crossbar. Both letters use the same wavy cap stroke on top and the same stem curling left at the baseline. The F adds a small horizontal stroke through the stem at the midline. If you can write one, you are one stroke away from the other. See the letter F page to compare them.
Why doesn't the cursive lowercase t have a loop?
The loop is reserved for the tall letters: b, f, h, k and l. Leaving the t unlooped and shorter keeps it from being confused with an l. The retrace, going up and coming back down the same line, is the same move you use at the top of the lowercase d and p in many school models.
Where should you cross a lowercase t?
Just above the midline, centered on the stem or slightly to the right. A cross at the very top makes the t look like a plus sign; a cross on the midline itself can merge with the joins on either side. In a double t, one long stroke can cross both stems at once.
How tall should a cursive t be?
About two-thirds of the way between the baseline and the top line, or roughly halfway from the midline to the top line. A simple way to check is to write the word "little". The t's should clearly stand above the i but clearly below the l's, and both t's should be the same height. If they drift up to meet the l, you are writing an l without a loop.
In calligraphy styles the proportions shift. Copperplate t's are often a little taller, and italic t's can be barely above the x-height, with the cross doing most of the work.
