How to write cursive P and p
Capital P is a stem with one bowl that curves round to the middle. The pen lifts at the end. Lowercase p is a stem that drops below the baseline, loops under, and comes back up to make a bowl at the midline.
Capital P
Tall: baseline to topline.
A little above the midline, on the left.
Just below the midline, inside the letter. The pen lifts; the next letter starts on its own.
Lowercase p
Short, with a tail below the baseline.
At the baseline, on the left.
At the baseline, where the bowl closes against the stem. When a letter follows, the join swings up to the right from here.
Lowercase p, second form
A p with a straight tail and no loop: go down below the baseline, trace back up the same line, then make the bowl.
At the baseline, on the left.
At the baseline, where the bowl closes against the stem.
The lowercase p bowl is drawn after the stem, on the way back up. Some schools teach a p whose stem comes straight back up without a loop; that second form is on this page too.
Common mistakes with capital P
- The bowl is drawn down to the baseline, so the P becomes a D.
- The retrace leaves the stem, so there are two lines side by side.
- The lead-in is drawn as a loop at the top, so the P looks like it has a hat.
Common mistakes with lowercase p
- The bowl does not close on the stem.
- The stem stays above the baseline, so the p reads as a capital P.
- The lower loop is drawn big, so the p looks like a j with a bowl.
Joining p to other letters
Capital P lifts before the next letter, so start the second letter fresh. Practice the lowercase pairs until each join feels like one movement.
Print a practice sheet for P and p
The sheet has the numbered stroke guide for both letters, rows to trace, two practice words and a blank row for writing on your own.