How to Write G in Cursive

How to write a cursive capital G

Traditional cursive capital G is a tall narrow loop drawn from the baseline up, with a small forward hump at the middle and a stroke that curves back down to finish at the baseline.

Start: On the baseline, slightly left of the letter's centre.

1. 1From the baseline, make a long undercurve that rises to the right all the way to the top line.
2. 2At the top, loop back to the left and come down, crossing the upstroke at about the midline.
3. 3From the crossing, curve forward to the right in a small hump at the middle of the letter.
4. 4Bring the stroke back down on the slant to the baseline, curving back to the left at the bottom.
5. 5End with a short tail to the left, or lift. In joining hands, a small undercurve carries on to the next letter.

Connecting: In Zaner-Bloser and Playwrite-style traditional cursive, capital G is usually finished and lifted rather than joined. D'Nealian uses a quite different capital G, closer to a slanted print G with a hooked base, and that version can connect from the baseline.

How to write a cursive lowercase g

Lowercase cursive g is a closed a-shaped oval with a straight stem that drops below the baseline and loops back up, closing on the left at the baseline.

Start: On the baseline when joined, or at the midline at 2 o'clock when g begins a word. · Letter family: Downcurve letters (a, d, g, o, q, c); its tail loop is also shared with j and y.

1. 1Start with a short undercurve from the baseline to the midline, the same lead-in the a uses before its bowl.
2. 2Curve over to the left and down into a counterclockwise oval that touches the baseline.
3. 3Come up the right side and close the oval at the midline.
4. 4Retrace down the right side and keep going straight below the baseline, about as far as the oval is tall.
5. 5Curve to the left and loop back up, crossing the stem at the baseline, then exit to the right.

Connecting: Lowercase g joins on both sides. The exit comes from where the lower loop crosses the baseline, so the next letter starts from the baseline as usual.

Joining g to other letters

• grgr: After the tail loop crosses the baseline, the exit rises steeply to the r's peak. Keep the lower loop narrow so the upstroke doesn't sweep too far right and stretch the r into a wide shape.
• ngng: The n exits on the baseline and the g starts at the midline, so climb up and go over and back for the oval. Rushing this makes the g open at the top and 'sing' reads as 'siny'.
• gaga: Two closed ovals in a row. Make the lower loop's exit long enough to reach the midline before starting the a, or the a sits too close to the g's tail.
• ghgh: The exit from the g's tail climbs all the way into the h's tall loop. Start the curve upward right at the crossing so the long stroke doesn't kink at the midline.

Common mistakes with cursive G

• Leaving the lowercase g oval open

  Close the oval at the midline before dropping the stem. An open g looks like a y, and 'gas' turns into 'yas'.

• Closing the g tail on the right

  Loop the tail to the left and cross the stem at the baseline. A right-closing tail is how f and q end, and makes g look like q.

• Making the capital G loop short and wide

  Keep the loop tall and narrow, reaching the top line. A short wide loop makes capital G look like a lowercase g or a capital S.

• Drawing capital G from the top like a printed G

  Start on the baseline and climb first. The rising stroke is what makes the tall loop and gives G the same slant as the rest of the word.

Easily confused with: Lowercase cursive g is confused with y (open oval), q (tail closing on the right) and a when the tail is short. Capital G can be mistaken for capital S or L, which also start with a tall loop from the baseline.

Practice words with g

• Grace
• George
• garden
• giggle
• orange
• laughing

Cursive G: questions