How to Write Always in Cursive

By Maya Chen, lettering designer and type educator · Checked by Jordan Hale · October 2026 · How we review content

"Always" in Playwrite US Trad, a typeface modelled on traditional school cursive.

Always is a six-letter word with a long run of joins and almost no pauses: the capital A exits into the l, and then l, w, a, y and s all link in one line. It is a favourite for anniversary cards, wedding vows and tattoos, usually as a single word or with forever. The w and the y give it character, and each needs care.

Copy and paste "Always" in cursive

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Letter by letter

Each distinct letter in "Always" has its own stroke-by-stroke page.

The joins in Always

Al: The capital A is an oval followed by a stem, and in school cursive it finishes with an undercurve that joins the next letter. Carry that exit up into the l's loop without lifting, and keep the l narrow.
lw: The l loop closes at the baseline and exits into the w's first upstroke. Keep the l narrow, then make the w three narrow strokes so it does not look wider than the l is tall.
wa: The w ends with a small checkstroke that rises over to the top of the a. This bridge is high, not at the baseline, so be sure to lift your pen path to the midline before you close the a oval.
ay: The a's exit runs along the baseline into the y's first undercurve. Make the y with two strokes in one motion and let the descender fall straight below the line.
ys: After the y's loop, the exit climbs back up to the midline to start the s. Keep the s small and finish with a tiny curl.

Tricky spots

w bridge: After the w, the connecting stroke rises to the midline and meets the a at the top. If it stays at the baseline, a looks like a u. Keep the bridge level with the top of the next letter.
y loop: The y descender loops left under the line and returns to the baseline before the s. A very wide loop runs into the next line of writing, so keep it narrow.
Final s: The final s is easy to turn into a squiggle. Make a small rise to a point, curve back to the baseline and end with a short curl or no curl, rather than a long tail.

Capitals

Always is usually capitalised at the start of a line or as a title, and lowercase inside a phrase like love you always. The capital A is a slanted oval with a stem that ends in an undercurve, so it joins straight into the l with no gap. Written lowercase, the a also joins the l, so either version is one connected line.

Variations and styles

Always is often written with a long swash from the s that curls back under the word, and a small heart can replace the dot of a nearby i in a phrase. For anniversary cards, pair it with forever. In calligraphy, thicken the downstrokes of the A, l and y. The w also gives you a place to add a small flourish.

As a tattoo

Always is a typical couple's or memorial tattoo. Because it uses a descender (y) and an ascender (l), allow enough height, about 8 mm minimum, and avoid hairline strokes. The w and the y can blur together at small sizes, so keep the spacing open and ask for a stencil check. A lowercase version is easier to stretch along a wrist or ribs.

Printable practice sheet

Trace the grey letters, then write your own on the empty lines. Prints on one page (Letter or A4).

Cursive practice: Always

Name: ____________________ coolletteringgenerator.com

Copy-paste versions of Always

Script always needs no Letterlike substitutes at all, since A, l, w, a, y and s all sit in the regular math script range, so 𝒜𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 is uniform in every font that supports it. Bold script 𝓐𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 is also a single block. Either version is safe to paste, though thin script strokes can be hard to read at small sizes.

Always in cursive: questions

Does the capital A join in Always?

In traditional cursive the capital A joins. You make the oval and stem, then finish with an undercurve that runs straight into the l's upstroke, so the pen stays on the page. Some sign painters lift after the A for a clean break, but school models teach the connected exit.

How do I write the w in always?

Make three narrow undercurves with two slanted downstrokes between them, then finish with a small check that becomes a high bridge to the a. Keep the whole w no wider than the l beside it, and let the strokes lean at the same slant as the rest of the word.

Why does the a after the w look like a u?

The a probably starts from the baseline instead of from the high bridge. After the w, the connecting stroke should rise to the midline, and the a's oval begins at that height and closes on the right. Starting low leaves a gap that makes the pair read as a u.

What is the best cursive style for an always tattoo?

A lowercase flowing script is the easiest to read at small size. Avoid hairline strokes, keep the y loop open and the s small, and check the stencil for the w, which tends to crowd when shrunk. Allow about 8 mm of letter height so the l and y keep their loops.