Cursive alphabet · Letter Q
Cursive Q: How to Write Uppercase & Lowercase Q
Cursive q is an a that continues below the baseline. Capital Q looks nothing like it: in most school styles it resembles a numeral 2.
Cursive Q at a glance
Capital Q
Lowercase q
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 Q in cursive: step by step
- 1Start near the top line on the left and curve up and over to the right, as if you were drawing the top of a 2.
- 2Sweep down and to the left in a long diagonal to the baseline.
- 3Finish with a long, low stroke out to the right.
Lowercase q in cursive: step by step
- 1Start just below the midline on the right and curve counterclockwise to draw an oval.
- 2Pull a straight line down the right side, past the baseline to the descender line.
- 3Curve right at the bottom and sweep back up.
- 4Finish with a short exit stroke at the baseline.
Trace cursive Q 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 Q
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Lowercase q
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
How cursive q joins other letters
In English q is almost always followed by u. Practice 'qu' as a pair: the q's hook rises into the u's first stroke.
qu
qui
que
aq
eq
Trace the join: qu
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Practice words with q
Capitalized names are written the way they would be on a card or label; lowercase words show how the letters link in a line.
Quinn
Quebec
Queen
queen
quiet
square
equal
Want a word of your own? The worksheet generator makes a practice sheet for any name.
Common mistakes with cursive q
Looping left like a g
The tail of q hooks to the right. A left-hand loop makes it a g.
Mistaking Q for 2
Because capital Q is drawn like a numeral 2, readers rely on context. Keep the top curve open and finish with a longer, flatter tail than you would on a 2.
Cursive q vs g: Cursive q and g share the same oval and stem. The g loops to the left under the line; the q hooks to the right. See cursive G →
Cursive Q questions
Why does the capital Q look like a 2 in cursive?
Many school cursive styles draw capital Q with a top curve and a diagonal sweep that resembles a numeral 2. It is a quirk of the style rather than a mistake.
Free printable worksheet: cursive Q
One page with capital Q, lowercase q, 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.