Alphabet Atlas
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Cursive capital O

In cursive, the capital letter O takes 1 stroke and is a tall letter that reaches the top line. The model on this page is US Traditional, the connected style most American classrooms teach: the pen stays on the paper inside a word, and every letter is drawn to flow into the next. Press Play to watch the letter write itself, then use Step to move one stroke at a time. Capitals start every sentence and every name, so O deserves its own practice even though it is rarer than its lowercase partner.

A big oval started at the top and closed with a small loop.

Stroke by stroke

  1. Start just below the top line at the middle. Sweep across to the right and make a loop that crosses your own line, ending just above the dashed midline at the right side.

Print a practice sheet

Common mistakes

Leaving the oval open.

O is most often confused with C. Put them side by side and check the first stroke: the starting point and the height are what separate them.

Names that start with O

Olivia
Oliver
Owen

Practice

Trace on screen first: press Trace it above and follow the grey letter. Then print the sheet and write the same letter on paper. Writing on paper is what builds the habit.

Open the worksheet

How O joins to the next letter

In connected cursive the pen leaves O at the midline, a little above the baseline. That exit point decides the connector to the letter that follows. These are the pairs you will write most often.

Oa: a high join: the connector leaves at the midline and flows straight into the next letter; the a starts at the midline
Oe: a bridge join: the connector leaves at the midline and dips to the next letter's start; the e starts at the baseline
Oo: a high join: the connector leaves at the midline and flows straight into the next letter; the o starts at the midline
Or: a bridge join: the connector leaves at the midline and dips to the next letter's start; the r starts at the baseline
Ou: a high join: the connector leaves at the midline and flows straight into the next letter; the u starts at the midline
Oi: a high join: the connector leaves at the midline and flows straight into the next letter; the i starts at the midline

Questions about cursive capital o

How many strokes is the capital letter O in cursive writing?

1 stroke. Keep going without lifting unless the instructions say so.

Where do I start O in cursive?

Start just below the top line at the middle. Sweep across to the right and make a loop that crosses your own line, ending just above the dashed midline at the right side.

Is cursive O the same in every school?

US Traditional cursive is the connected style most American schools teach. Teachers may use a different model, such as D'Nealian or Zaner-Bloser, so a few letters (the capital G, Q and Z especially) can differ from your school's handbook.

What letter is O confused with?

O is most often confused with C. Put them side by side and check the first stroke: the starting point and the height are what separate them.

Can I print a practice sheet for O?

Yes. Open the worksheet maker, type Oo or a whole word, pick a line size, and print. The sheet has a dark model row, grey tracing rows, dotted rows and blank lines.