How to Write D in Cursive

How to write a cursive capital D

Traditional cursive capital D is a slanted stem with a small loop at the baseline and a large rounded belly that curves up and over to finish near the top of the stem.

Start: On the top line, at the top of the stem.

1. 1Pull a slant stroke straight down from the top line to the baseline.
2. 2At the baseline, make a small loop to the left and come back across the bottom of the stem, heading right.
3. 3Curve up the right side in a wide arc toward the top line, forming the belly of the D.
4. 4Bring the arc over the top and back to the left until it meets or slightly crosses the top of the stem.
5. 5Finish with a small inward curl or loop at the top left, then lift.

Connecting: Capital D does not join the next letter in Zaner-Bloser or Palmer cursive; its stroke ends at the top of the letter. D'Nealian also writes D without a join. Lift and start the next letter just to the right of the belly.

How to write a cursive lowercase d

Lowercase cursive d draws the same closed oval as a, then carries the stroke up to the top line and retraces straight down before leaving along the baseline.

Start: On the baseline when joined, or at the midline at 2 o'clock when starting a word. · Letter family: Downcurve letters (a, d, g, o, q, c), all of which open with the over-and-back curve at the midline.

1. 1Lift from the baseline to the midline with a short undercurve, then turn back to begin the bowl of the d.
2. 2Curve over to the left and down counterclockwise into an oval that touches the baseline.
3. 3Come back up the right side, close the oval at the midline and keep going straight up to the top line.
4. 4Retrace down the same line to the baseline, keeping the stem a single stroke.
5. 5Exit with an undercurve to the right.

Connecting: Lowercase d joins on both sides from the baseline. Its tall stem is retraced, so there is no loop to leave it from; the exit comes off the bottom of the stem.

Joining d to other letters

• dede: From the d's baseline exit, swing up into the e loop. Keep the e loop below the midline so it doesn't echo the d's tall stem and look like a second ascender.
• dodo: The o starts at the midline, so the d's exit has to climb all the way up before curving back over. A short exit makes the o lean or open up.
• didi: Keep the i's upstroke clearly shorter than the d stem. When they are similar heights, 'di' can be misread as 'dl' or 'cli'.
• eded: The e exits on the baseline and runs straight into the d's lead-in. Make sure you go over and back at the midline to start the oval, rather than looping the d's stem from the e's exit.

Common mistakes with cursive D

• Looping the stem of lowercase d

  Come straight back down on top of the upstroke. A looped stem makes the d look like 'cl' or like a misshapen b.

• Stopping the d stem at the midline

  Climb all the way to the top line before retracing. A short stem turns d into a, so 'dad' becomes 'aad'.

• Forgetting the baseline loop on capital D

  Make a small loop at the foot of the stem before swinging into the belly. Without it, the belly has nowhere to start and the letter looks like a backward C on a stick.

• Leaving the capital D belly open at the top

  Bring the arc back far enough to meet the stem. An open top makes capital D look like a lowercase o with a tail.

Easily confused with: Lowercase cursive d is confused with a (short stem), cl (looped or separated stem) and b when the oval is drawn on the wrong side. Capital D is sometimes mistaken for capital O or for a reversed lowercase e when its baseline loop is too big.

Practice words with d

• David
• Diana
• dinner
• today
• middle
• bread

Cursive D: questions