Cursive alphabet · Letter Y
Cursive Y: How to Write Uppercase & Lowercase Y
Cursive y is a u that drops below the baseline into a loop. The capital Y is a deeper cup with a tail that does the same.
Cursive Y at a glance
Capital Y
Lowercase y
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 Y in cursive: step by step
- 1Start near the top line and curve down the left side into a wide cup.
- 2Come up the right side to the top line.
- 3Retrace down the right side, past the baseline to the descender line, and finish with a loop.
Lowercase y in cursive: step by step
- 1Start at the midline and curve down to the baseline.
- 2Come back up to the midline, then retrace straight down through the baseline.
- 3Continue to the descender line and loop to the left.
- 4Swing back up to the right and finish with an exit stroke.
Trace cursive Y 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 Y
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Lowercase y
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
How cursive y joins other letters
The y exits from the sweep after the descender loop, so the connection rises from below the baseline. Keep the sweep gradual.
ya
ye
yo
ay
ey
Trace the join: ya
Trace over the dotted guide with your finger, mouse or stylus.
Practice words with y
Capitalized names are written the way they would be on a card or label; lowercase words show how the letters link in a line.
Yvonne
York
Yellowstone
yes
happy
yellow
journey
Want a word of your own? The worksheet generator makes a practice sheet for any name.
Common mistakes with cursive y
Looping the wrong way
The y loops to the left, as g does. A right-hand loop looks like a q.
A stem too short
The stem must reach below the baseline. If it stops on the line, the y becomes a u.
Cursive y vs g: Cursive y and g both loop left under the line. The y starts with a u shape; the g starts with an oval. See cursive G →
Free printable worksheet: cursive Y
One page with capital Y, lowercase y, 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.