How to write cursive V and v
Capital V is a curl, a curve down to the baseline and up again, with a small curl at the end. The pen lifts. Lowercase v is one rounded hump that drops to the baseline and swings back up to the midline, where a short bridge joins the next letter.
Capital V
Tall: baseline to topline.
Just below the topline, on the left, with a small curl.
At the topline, on the right. The pen lifts; the next letter starts on its own.
Lowercase v
Short: baseline to midline.
About three quarters of the way up to the midline, on the left.
At the midline, at the top of the upswing. When a letter follows, a short bridge runs right from here.
Like the o and the w, the lowercase v leaves from the midline, not the baseline. Finish it with the short bridge stroke so the next letter starts in the right place.
Common mistakes with capital V
- The bottom is rounded, so the V reads as a U.
- The top curl is drawn as a full loop, so the V looks like it has a hat.
- The V is pulled out into a tail at the baseline, so it joins like a U and reads as one.
Common mistakes with lowercase v
- The bridge is left out, so the next letter floats beside the v.
- The v is started with an undercurve, so it reads as a u.
- The bridge sags, so the next letter starts too low.
Joining v to other letters
Capital V 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 V and v
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.