Cursive alphabet · Letter A
Cursive A: How to Write Uppercase & Lowercase A
Cursive a is an oval with a stem, and that same oval sits inside d, g and q. The capital A is a different shape entirely: a slanted arch with a crossbar.
Cursive A at a glance
Capital A
Lowercase a
Numbered dots mark where each stroke begins. The red line is the baseline; the dashed line is the midline. Style: traditional American school cursive, simplified to a single line.
Capital A in cursive: step by step
- 1Start on the baseline at the left and draw a slanted line up to a rounded peak at the top line.
- 2Curve over the peak and slide back down to the baseline on the right, finishing with a small exit flick.
- 3Lift your pen and add a short crossbar at about the midline.
Lowercase a in cursive: step by step
- 1Start just below the midline on the right side of the letter's space.
- 2Curve up and over to the left, down around the bottom and back up, closing the oval where you began.
- 3Without lifting, pull a straight line down the right side of the oval to the baseline.
- 4Sweep up into a small exit stroke so the a can join the next letter.
Trace cursive A on screen
Use a finger, stylus or mouse. Start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted guide, then press Check to see how much of the guide you covered.
Capital A
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Lowercase a
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
How cursive a joins other letters
The a's exit stroke rises from the baseline, so it flows straight into the upstroke of letters like n, t and l.
an
at
ad
al
ar
Trace the join: an
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Practice words with a
Capitalized names are written the way they would be on a card or label; lowercase words show how the letters link in a line.
Anna
April
Alice
banana
again
magic
cat
Want a word of your own? The worksheet generator makes a practice sheet for any name.
Common mistakes with cursive a
An oval that stays open
If the oval does not close at the top, the a reads like a u. Let the pen touch its starting point before you drop down the stem.
A stem that drifts
The stem should lean at the same angle as the rest of the line. Letting it slide right at the bottom makes the a look unfinished.
Cursive a vs o: Cursive a and o look alike at a glance. The tell is the stem: a has a straight line down its right side, o closes at the top and exits across. See cursive O →
Free printable worksheet: cursive A
One page with capital A, lowercase a, joins and words to trace, plus blank lines for your own writing. Print it on US Letter or A4.
More practice: the full alphabet practice sheets, or all cursive worksheets.