Cursive alphabet · Letter F
Cursive F: How to Write Uppercase & Lowercase F
Cursive f is the only common letter that reaches both the top line and the descender line, with a loop at each end. The capital F has a swooping top and a crossbar.
Cursive F at a glance
Capital F
Lowercase f
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 F in cursive: step by step
- 1Start near the top line at the right and swoop left, curving down into a stem.
- 2Draw the stem down to the baseline.
- 3Lift your pen and add a short crossbar at about the midline, left to right.
Lowercase f in cursive: step by step
- 1Start on the baseline and swing up to the top line.
- 2Loop over at the top and come straight down through the baseline.
- 3Keep going to the descender line, then loop to the left.
- 4Swing back up so the loop crosses the stem at the baseline, and finish with a short exit stroke.
Trace cursive F 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 F
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Lowercase f
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
How cursive f joins other letters
The f exits at the baseline after crossing itself, so it joins to the next letter like most lowercase letters. When f follows another letter, as in 'of', the entry stroke goes straight into the top loop.
fa
fe
fi
fl
fr
Trace the join: fa
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Practice words with f
Capitalized names are written the way they would be on a card or label; lowercase words show how the letters link in a line.
Frank
France
Fiona
father
family
coffee
fish
Want a word of your own? The worksheet generator makes a practice sheet for any name.
Common mistakes with cursive f
No lower loop
A cursive f that stops at the baseline reads as a long l. The loop under the line is what makes it an f.
Loops that do not cross
Both loops should be roughly the same size, and the stroke should cross itself at the baseline. If the crossing slides above or below it, the letter leans.
Cursive f vs s: Cursive f and the long s used in historic writing look similar, but modern school cursive uses only the loop-and-descender f shown here. See cursive S →
Cursive F questions
Why does cursive f go below the line?
The lowercase f is the only common cursive letter with both an ascender and a descender. The lower loop gives it a distinctive shape and keeps it from being mistaken for l.
Is capital F in cursive the same as capital T?
They are close. Capital F has a swooping top that curves into the stem and a separate crossbar at the midline; capital T has its crossbar at the top line.
Free printable worksheet: cursive F
One page with capital F, lowercase f, 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.