How to Write U in Cursive

How to write a cursive capital U

The traditional cursive capital U opens with a small cane-shaped hook at the top line, drops into a cupped bottom, climbs back to the top line on the right, and retraces down to exit into the next letter.

Start: Just below the top line, on the left side of the letter.

1. 1Begin slightly below the top line with a small overcurve that rises to the top line and turns down, like the handle of a cane.
2. 2Pull a slanted downstroke all the way to the baseline.
3. 3Round the bottom and swing up in an undercurve to the top line, making the right side as tall as the cane hook.
4. 4At the top, stop and retrace straight down the right side to the baseline.
5. 5Finish with an undercurve exit that rises toward the midline to meet the next letter.

Connecting: Capital U connects. The final undercurve leads straight into lowercase letters, which is why names like 'Uma' can be written without a lift.

How to write a cursive lowercase u

Lowercase cursive u is two rising undercurves, each followed by a slanted downstroke, with a narrow rounded turn at the baseline and sharp points at the midline.

Start: Right at the baseline, picking up from the previous letter's exit. · Letter family: Undercurve letters, with i, t and w: the u is essentially two i's without dots.

1. 1Start on the baseline with an undercurve that rises to the midline.
2. 2Make a sharp point and slant straight down to the baseline.
3. 3Turn with a small round curve and make a second undercurve up to the midline.
4. 4Point again and slant down to the baseline, parallel to the first downstroke.
5. 5Swing out with an undercurve exit toward the midline for the next letter.

Connecting: Lowercase u joins on both sides at the baseline. Its exit is low, so letters that follow it start from the baseline in their normal position.

Joining u to other letters

• unun: The u exits with an undercurve, but n starts with an overcurve hump. Let the exit rise to the midline and roll straight over into the n hump. Keep the u's points sharp and the n's tops round, so 'under' is easy to read.
• urur: Climb from the u straight to the r's small shoulder just above the midline. If the shoulder is too low, 'ur' turns into 'uu' or 'ui'.
• usus: The u's exit becomes the upstroke of the s. Bring it to a crisp peak at the midline and close the s at the bottom; 'bus' and 'just' depend on that closure.
• ququ: The q ends below the baseline with a forward loop that swings back up to the baseline. Let that stroke flow directly into the u's first undercurve without a pause.

Common mistakes with cursive U

• Rounding the tops of the u

  Point the tops and round the bottoms. Rounded tops turn u into n written upside down, and 'un' starts to look like 'nn'.

• Uneven downstrokes

  Keep both downstrokes parallel and on the same slant. If the second leans more, the u looks like a v with an extra stroke.

• Skipping the retrace on capital U

  Go up the right side, stop, and come back down on the same line before exiting. Without the retrace the U becomes a tall open cup that looks like a capital V with a round bottom.

• Starting capital U at the baseline

  Begin with the small hook just under the top line. Starting at the bottom produces an uneven U whose left side is shorter than the right.

Easily confused with: Lowercase u is confused with w (one extra hump), v (pointed bottom, no second downstroke) and ii without dots. Capital U is confused with capital V and Y; the V has a pointed bottom and no retrace, and the Y drops a loop below the baseline.

Practice words with u

• Utah
• Uma
• under
• unicorn
• summer
• button

Cursive U: questions