Cursive D
Lowercase d is a c that keeps climbing: same swing in, but the slide runs all the way to the top line before dropping a tall stem. Both forms numbered stroke by stroke below, with a printable trace-and-write sheet and the fix for the classic a/d mix-up.
Cursive capital D
- Swing up to the top line and curve back left over the top.
- Come down to the baseline.
- Bowl up and around to the right — one wide sweep.
- Close at the baseline where the entry began.
Lowercase d in cursive
- Swing in from the baseline and curve up — past the middle line.
- Keep sliding up to the top line.
- Drop a straight downstroke to the baseline.
- Exit right with a small tail.
Watch for: stopping the slide at the middle line — which quietly turns the d into an a.
Trace and write — ddddd
Cursive capital D trace — DDD
Write on your own
PNG version — the exact file Download PNG saves
The c that keeps going
If a child can write c and l, they can already write d — the lowercase is the c entry stroke sliding up to the top line, then the l stem dropping straight back to the baseline. It is the tallest member of the curve family and the easiest tall letter in the alphabet, which is why programs teach it almost immediately after c. The diagnostic value is in the mix-up: a d written short is an a, an a written tall is a d. Height discipline — middle line for a, top line for d — is the whole game at this stage.
The capital D opens like a cursive C that changes its mind: up-and-over at the top, down to the baseline, then one big bowl sweeping around to close. Its personality is that bowl — rounder and prouder than print's vertical stem, it should touch the baseline exactly where the entry stroke began. Keep the bowl from sagging past the line; a D that droops reads as a lowercase g at distance.
Capital D in cursive
A cursive capital D opens like a C that changes its mind: the stroke swings up and over at the top line, drops to the baseline, and instead of staying open, sweeps up and around into one wide bowl that closes exactly where the entry began. Compared with print D, the cursive version has no straight vertical side at all — the stem is the looped entry stroke, and the letter's entire right side is one proud curve.
Two things check a capital D's health: the bowl should sit on the baseline, not sag past it (a drooping D reads as a lowercase g from across the room), and it should be widest in its lower half, giving the letter a settled, grounded look. Because the entry stroke and the bowl meet at the same point, a D with a gap there looks unfinished — close it deliberately and let the curve do the rest.
Teaching tips
Drill a and d as a pair
Write a a d, then d d a — alternating forces the height decision every single time. Within a week the top line versus middle line call becomes automatic.
The stem is straight
After the long slide up, the drop down should be a clean vertical on the slant — no wave, no lean away from the curve. A wavy d stem is usually a speed problem, not a skill problem.
Name check for capitals
D is a name letter — Daniel, Daisy, Dad. Use it: capitals stick twice as fast when they spell someone the writer knows.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write a capital D in cursive?
Swing up and over at the top line, come down to the baseline, then make one big bowl — up, around to the right, and back — closing at the baseline where the stroke began.
How do you write a lowercase d in cursive?
Swing in from the baseline like a c, but keep sliding up to the top line; then drop a straight downstroke all the way to the baseline and exit right with a small tail.
What's the difference between cursive a and d?
Height of the slide. The a slides up only to the middle line; the d continues to the top line before its downstroke. Same opening stroke, same closing move.
Why does my d look like a printed d?
The ball-and-stick habit — drawing the bowl and stem as separate pieces. Slow the entry down and think "c that keeps climbing": one motion, no pencil lift.
How is cursive capital D different from print D?
The cursive D has no straight vertical side: the left is a looped entry stroke and the right is one wide closing bowl, drawn without lifting the pencil. Print D's flat-sided, two-piece construction is exactly the habit cursive replaces.