How to Write V in Cursive

How to write a cursive capital V

The traditional capital V starts with a cane-shaped hook below the top line, slants down to a point on the baseline, and rises back to the top line, where it stops without connecting.

Start: Just below the top line, on the left.

1. 1Start a little below the top line with a short overcurve that rises to the top line and turns downward.
2. 2Slant down to the baseline in a straight line.
3. 3Make a sharp point on the baseline, or a very narrow turn. Avoid a wide round bottom, which belongs to the U.
4. 4Rise in an undercurve to the top line on the right, slightly wider than the space between the hook and the point.
5. 5Stop at the top line. Some styles add a small inward curl at the finish, but the stroke does not come back down.

Connecting: Traditional capital V does not connect, because it ends at the top line. Lift and start the next letter at the baseline close to the point of the V.

How to write a cursive lowercase v

Lowercase cursive v enters with a small overcurve hump, slants down to a point at the baseline, rises to the midline, and finishes with a checkstroke and a short horizontal bridge.

Start: On the baseline, or at the end of the previous letter's exit. · Letter family: Overcurve letters, with n, m, x, y and z: all begin by arching over from the baseline.

1. 1From the baseline, make an overcurve that arches up to the midline and turns down, like the first hump of an n.
2. 2Slant down to the baseline and make a narrow point.
3. 3Swing up in an undercurve back to the midline.
4. 4At the midline, make a tiny checkstroke: a small dip or retrace toward the left.
5. 5Slide out to the right in a short, nearly level bridge at the midline to connect to the next letter.

Connecting: Lowercase v joins on both sides, but it exits high. The next letter starts from the midline bridge, so letters like e and a change shape slightly after v.

Joining v to other letters

• veve: The bridge stays at the midline, so the e can't start from the baseline. Dip the bridge slightly and loop the e directly from it. This join appears in have, love and give, so it is worth drilling.
• vivi: From the bridge, drop a short distance and come back up for the i, or the i merges into the bridge. 'visit' and 'vivid' are good test words.
• ovov: Both letters end in a bridge. The o's bridge flows directly into the v's overcurve entry, so the v starts at the midline. Keep the v's downstroke reaching the baseline so it doesn't shrink.
• iviv: The i exits at the baseline. Arch that exit over into the v's overcurve and make the v point land back on the baseline, as in 'give', 'live' and 'five'.

Common mistakes with cursive V

• Ending the lowercase v on the baseline

  Climb back to the midline and finish with the checkstroke and bridge. A v that ends low looks like a u missing its second downstroke.

• Rounding the bottom of the v

  Make the bottom a point or a narrow turn. A wide round bottom turns v into u, and 'vote' becomes 'uote'.

• Skipping the checkstroke

  Pause briefly at the midline before sliding right. Without the check the bridge looks like part of the next letter and the v reads as an r.

• Dropping the bridge before the next letter

  Keep the bridge level. If it sags to the baseline, the letter after v loses its shape, especially o and e.

Easily confused with: Lowercase v is confused with r (both end high), u (if the bottom is rounded) and the first half of w. Capital V can look like U if the base is round, or like an incomplete W.

Practice words with v

• Victoria
• very
• have
• seven
• travel
• Vince

Cursive V: questions