Capital Y in Cursive: How to Write It
Capital Y is a valley like U, then a descender. In many school hands the right stroke continues under the line and hooks left. Without that tail, the letter is just U.
Y
The letterforms on this page are rendered in Cedarville Cursive, an open-source font — school styles like Zaner-Bloser or D'Nealian differ in details. Treat the steps as the source of truth for stroke order; let the sample show you one possible shape.
Write it step by step
- 1For capital Y, start near the headline and sweep down toward the baseline, as if you were starting U.
- 2Bring a second stroke from the upper right down through the first stroke.
- 3Continue that second stroke below the baseline and finish with a small hook to the left. The tail is part of Y, not decoration.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Stopping on the baseline, which leaves a capital U.
- A tail so long it hits the next line of writing.
- A hook that swings right and crashes into the next letter. The hook tucks left, under the letter.
Practice words
You · Yellow · My · Yves · Yolanda
Turn this letter into a practice sheet
Opens a cursive tracing sheet with this lesson's words filled in. Download the PDF and print it.
See this letter on the alphabet chart and download the sheet →
Frequently asked questions
Does cursive capital Y connect?
No. The hook ends under the line. The next letter starts on the baseline, to the right of the tail, not from the hook.
How is capital Y different from capital U?
The descender. U finishes above the baseline. Y keeps going and hooks underneath. If your pen never crossed the line, you have not written Y.
How deep is the tail?
Similar to lowercase g or y: clearly below the baseline, short of the next row. On wide-ruled paper there is room; on college-ruled paper, keep the hook small.
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