L in Cursive: How to Write It
Lowercase l is the plain tall loop. No hump, no crossbar, no dot. If you can keep it narrow and full height, b, h, k, and f all get easier, because they begin the same way.
l
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
- 1Start the cursive l on the baseline and rise to the headline, leaning a little right.
- 2Loop over to the left at the top. Keep the loop narrow, about the width of the letter i.
- 3Pull straight down to the baseline and exit right. Do not add a hump.
Common mistakes to avoid
- A loop as wide as an oval. Wide loops crash into the next letter and look like a capital.
- Stopping at the midline. l that short is an i without a dot, or a stretched e.
- Adding a hump at the bottom. That extra arch is the start of h or b, not part of l.
Practice words
little · look · ball · play · yellow
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 l connect?
Yes. It enters from the baseline and exits along the baseline. A row of l looks like a fence because each exit feeds the next climb.
How is cursive l different from cursive e?
Height. e loops under the midline. l loops at the headline and travels the full distance back to the baseline. Same motion, different address on the lines.
Should I lift the pen on l?
No. One stroke: up, over, down, exit. A lift at the top usually means the loop is being drawn as two sticks, which is print, not cursive.
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