Cursive d

In cursive, the lowercase letter d 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. In English text d is the number 10 most common letter, at about 4.3% of all letters, so it comes up in most paragraphs.

Start like an a, but the stem climbs past the midline all the way to the top line before it comes back down.

Stroke by stroke

Start on the dashed midline at the right side. Go all the way round in a closed oval and meet your starting point, ending just above the baseline at the right side.

Print a practice sheet

Common mistakes

A stem that stops at the midline, so the d reads as an a.

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

Words with d to practise

dad

day

dog

red

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 d joins to the next letter

In connected cursive the pen leaves d at the baseline. That exit point decides the connector to the letter that follows. These are the pairs you will write most often.

da: a rising join: the connector climbs from the baseline to the next letter's start; the a starts at the midline

de: a low join: the connector runs along the baseline; the e starts at the baseline

do: a rising join: the connector climbs from the baseline to the next letter's start; the o starts at the midline

dr: a low join: the connector runs along the baseline; the r starts at the baseline

di: a rising join: the connector climbs from the baseline to the next letter's start; the i starts at the midline

dy: a rising join: the connector climbs from the baseline to the next letter's start; the y starts at the midline

Words with d to practise

dad

day

dog

red

bird

door

good

kind

Questions about cursive lowercase d

How many strokes is the lowercase letter d in cursive writing?

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

Where do I start d in cursive?

Start on the dashed midline at the right side. Go all the way round in a closed oval and meet your starting point, ending just above the baseline at the right side.

Is cursive d 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 d confused with?

d is most often confused with a. 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 d?

Yes. Open the worksheet maker, type ddd 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.