Cursive alphabet · Letter D
Cursive D: How to Write Uppercase & Lowercase D
Cursive d is an a with a tall stem added, so it is the second letter most people learn after c and a. The capital D is a different shape entirely, built from a stem and a large bowl.
Cursive D at a glance
Capital D
Lowercase d
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 D in cursive: step by step
- 1Start near the top line and draw a straight stem down to the baseline.
- 2Lift your pen and go back to the top of the stem.
- 3Draw a large rounded bowl to the right, curving back to the baseline.
Lowercase d in cursive: step by step
- 1Start just below the midline on the right and curve counterclockwise to draw an oval, like a.
- 2From the right side of the oval, pull a straight line up to the top line.
- 3Retrace down the same line all the way to the baseline.
- 4Sweep into a small exit stroke to join the next letter.
Trace cursive D 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 D
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Lowercase d
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
How cursive d joins other letters
The d's exit stroke starts at the baseline, which makes it easy to join to nearly any lowercase letter. Take extra care that the exit does not curl back into the stem.
da
de
di
do
ad
Trace the join: da
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Practice words with d
Capitalized names are written the way they would be on a card or label; lowercase words show how the letters link in a line.
David
Denver
Dana
dad
garden
wonderful
window
Want a word of your own? The worksheet generator makes a practice sheet for any name.
Common mistakes with cursive d
A stem without the retrace
The stem goes up and comes straight back down over itself. A second slanted line makes the d look like it has two stems.
A small stem
A d with a short stem is easy to confuse with a. The stem should reach the top line.
Cursive d vs a: Cursive d and a use the same oval. Only d has the tall stem, so check that the stem reaches the top line. See cursive A →
Free printable worksheet: cursive D
One page with capital D, lowercase d, 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.