How to Write Hope in Cursive

By Maya Chen, lettering designer and type educator · Checked by Jordan Hale · October 2026 · How we review content

"Hope" in Playwrite US Trad, a typeface modelled on traditional school cursive.

Hope looks easy at four letters, but it asks for three different skills: a capital that leads the word, a round o that must bridge across, and a p that drops below the line before the e finishes the word. Get the spacing between those parts right and it becomes one of the prettiest short words to write, which is why it turns up on cards, necklaces and forearms.

Copy and paste "Hope" in cursive

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Letter by letter

Each distinct letter in "Hope" has its own stroke-by-stroke page.

The joins in Hope

Ho: Traditional capital H is two stems and a looped crossbar, and it connects: after the crossbar, carry the stroke right into the o, which sits at the midline. Keep the o small beside the capital so the H leads the word.
op: The o finishes with a level bridge at the top that runs straight into the p's first stroke. Keep the bridge flat and short, then drop the p stem straight down below the baseline instead of curving it.
pe: After the p's stem retraces upward, its bowl closes at the baseline and exits with an undercurve that becomes the e's entry stroke. Make the e a small slanted loop and leave it open enough to see light inside.

Tricky spots

p descender: The p's stem must fall straight below the baseline, then retrace up the same line before the bowl swings out. If the stem curves, the p looks like a g or a y, so use the slant guide on your page.
Capital H: H takes a tall stem, a second stem and a looped crossbar, and the loop has to cross cleanly at the middle. Keep the two stems on the same slant or the H leans like a fence.
e at the end: The e is the last thing the eye sees, so closing its loop into a blob spoils the word. Aim for a narrow, open loop and a short exit, or no exit at all.

Capitals

Hope is capitalised when it is a title, a name or the first word of a line, and lowercase when it sits inside a phrase like hope and pray. In school cursive the capital H connects: the crossbar loop finishes heading right and carries into the o. For a signature feel you can add a long entry swash from the top of the first stem. Lowercase hope is a single flowing line from the h loop to the e.

Variations and styles

On a card, write Hope large and let the p's descender run into a small anchor or heart. Wall art often pairs hope with faith and love in matching sizes. In brush calligraphy, press on the downstrokes of H and p and keep the o bridge hairline thin. For a signature version, extend the final e into a long tail that underlines the word.

As a tattoo

Hope is a very common wrist, ankle and rib tattoo. Because the p's descender runs below the line, leave room for it and keep strokes thick enough to survive years of blur: aim for at least 8 mm letter height. Choose between a lowercase flow and a capital H with a separate swash, then ask for a stencil before inking so you can check the o and e stay open.

Printable practice sheet

Trace the grey letters, then write your own on the empty lines. Prints on one page (Letter or A4).

Cursive practice: Hope

Name: ____________________ coolletteringgenerator.com

Copy-paste versions of Hope

Script ℋℴ𝓅ℯ swaps three of its four letters, so only the 𝓅 comes from the regular math script block while ℋ (U+210B), ℴ (U+2134) and ℯ (U+212F) come from Letterlike Symbols. If a caption looks lopsided, that mix is the reason. Bold script 𝓗𝓸𝓹𝓮 keeps all four letters in one block.

Hope in cursive: questions

Does the H connect to the o in Hope?

Yes, in Zaner-Bloser and most school models. The capital H is two stems, and the crossbar loop finishes heading right so its last stroke carries into the o without a lift. Some Palmer-style hands end the crossbar inside the letter, and then you lift and start the o beside it. Either way, keep the o small and at the midline.

How do I stop the p from looking like a g?

Drop the stem straight below the baseline, retrace it upward, then make the bowl on the right. A g has a closed oval first and then the stem, which is the reverse order. Practise the p alone for a line before writing the whole word.

Is hope easier in lowercase?

Often. Lowercase h starts with a tall loop and runs straight into the o, so the word is one line from h to e. The tradeoff is that the h loop and the p descender both need space, so write on lined paper until you can judge the heights.

What should I check before getting a hope tattoo?

Ask for a stencil at the real size, then look at the o, the p stem and the e. If the o is almost closed, it may fill in over time. Make sure the descender has room and the lines are not hairline thin.