How to Write X in Cursive

How to write a cursive capital X

The traditional capital X is two strokes: a curved first stroke that arches over from a hook at the top line and curves down and out at the baseline, and a separate straight slant crossing it from upper right to lower left.

Start: Just below the top line, on the left, for the first stroke.

1. 1Begin a little below the top line with a small overcurve that rises to the top line and arches over to the right.
2. 2Slant down toward the baseline, curving slightly so the stroke bows to the right in the middle, like a backward c.
3. 3At the baseline, curve up and out to the right in a short undercurve.
4. 4Lift the pencil and move to the top line on the right side of the letter.
5. 5Draw a straight slant down and to the left, crossing the first stroke at its middle and ending on the baseline.

Connecting: In many traditional books the first stroke's undercurve leads into the next letter, and the crossing slant is added after the word, like a t cross. Other books lift before the next letter. Palmer-style X is often drawn as two back-to-back curves that touch in the middle instead of a slant crossing a curve.

How to write a cursive lowercase x

Lowercase cursive x is an overcurve hump that slants down and swings out like the end of an n, followed after the word by a short slash from upper right to lower left.

Start: On the baseline, at the end of the previous letter's exit. · Letter family: Overcurve letters, with n, m, v, y and z: x is the simplest of the group, just one hump and a cross.

1. 1From the baseline, make an overcurve that arches up to the midline and turns down.
2. 2Slant down to the baseline along the usual letter slant.
3. 3Curve out to the right with an undercurve that rises toward the midline, ready for the next letter.
4. 4Finish the word without lifting.
5. 5Go back and cross the x with a short straight slash from the midline on the right down to the baseline on the left, cutting the downstroke at its middle.

Connecting: Lowercase x joins on both sides from the baseline. The cross is added later, so the letter after x connects to the hump's exit stroke as if the slash weren't there.

Joining x to other letters

• exex: The e's exit rises and arches over into the x's hump, so keep the e loop small and make the hump clearly round. 'extra', 'next' and 'text' all depend on this join.
• xpxp: From the x's exit, climb above the midline for the p's upstroke and then pull straight down below the baseline. Cross the x after the word so the slash doesn't collide with the p's stem.
• xtxt: Two letters that get crossed later. Write the x hump and the t spike first, then add the x slash and the t bar in one pass when the word is done.
• oxox: The o ends with a bridge at the midline, so the x hump starts high. Don't add an extra bump; let the bridge become the top of the x, as in 'box' and 'fox'.

Common mistakes with cursive X

• Writing the lowercase x as two straight crossed lines

  Write the curved hump as part of the word and add only the short slash afterward. Two print-style lines break the flow and force an extra lift.

• Forgetting the slash

  An uncrossed cursive x looks like an n with one hump or a lowercase c turned around. Cross every x when you dot i's and cross t's.

• Crossing too high or too low

  Aim the slash through the middle of the downstroke. A slash near the top looks like a stray mark, and one near the baseline reads as a v.

• Making the capital X upright and symmetrical

  Keep both strokes on the cursive slant and let the first one curve. A perfectly straight upright X looks pasted in from print.

Easily confused with: An uncrossed lowercase x looks like a one-hump n or a reversed c, and a slash crossed too low makes it look like a v. Capital X can look like K or H if the crossing stroke lands off center.

Practice words with x

• Xavier
• box
• next
• extra
• relax
• Max

Cursive X: questions