How to Write Sister in Cursive

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

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

Sister has two s letters that are different shapes, one capital and one lowercase, with a t in between that needs crossing. The word is popular for tattoos, gifts and matching jewellery, so the quality of the capital S and the st pair matters. Take the word slowly and keep the lowercase letters small.

Copy and paste "Sister" in cursive

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Letter by letter

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

The joins in Sister

Si: The capital S is drawn from the bottom up with a loop and a closing curve, and it lifts. Leave a small gap, then start the i just to the right and keep it short. Dot it after the word.
is: The i exits at the baseline and rises to the small peak of the s. Keep the peak pointed and the closing stroke short, because the t comes next.
st: The s exits at the baseline and goes straight up to the t stem. Keep the t short and cross it after the word is complete.
te: The t exits at the baseline and swings up into the e loop. Keep the e small and open, and leave a short exit.
er: The e leaves at the baseline and climbs to the r shoulder. Finish the r with a small upturn since there is no following letter.

Tricky spots

Capital S: The S is drawn from the bottom and ends with a closing curve, which feels backwards to most learners. Practise it alone with a long entry stroke, then lift and start the i beside it.
The peak of s: A lowercase s has a small pointed peak. If it rounds off, the s looks like an e and the word turns into Sieter.
The crossed t: Cross the t after the word is finished, at a height just above the midline. A bar that is too low runs into the s or e.

Capitals

Use a capital S when sister is a name or at the start of a sentence. The cursive capital S is a tall curve with a loop at the base, and it is a lifting capital, so the pen leaves the page before the i. Lowercase sister is easier and looks gentle on a card or tattoo, because the plain s joins straight into the i.

Variations and styles

For a gift, write sister with a tall, slanted S and a small heart for the i dot. A matching-pair tattoo can use the same lettering on each person. A pointed pen gives the S and t heavy downstrokes, and a plain pen gives a clean, school-style look.

As a tattoo

Sister is short enough to write large, ideally 2 cm or more in height. The s, e and r are small and fill in over time, so ask for open shapes and space the t and e a little wider than usual. Have the artist draw it freehand or stencil it and check it before inking.

Printable practice sheet

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

Cursive practice: Sister

Name: ____________________ coolletteringgenerator.com

Copy-paste versions of Sister

Sister uses plain script 𝒮𝒾𝓈𝓉ℯ𝓇 with one substitute: ℯ (U+212F) is the fifth letter, so the capital S and every other letter stay in the regular block. Bold script 𝓢𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻 removes even that one.

Sister in cursive: questions

How do you write sister in cursive?

Write a capital S with a looped base, then i, a pointed s, a t with a crossbar, a looped e and an r. Each letter joins at the baseline. Dot the i and cross the t after the word is done.

Why does my lowercase s look like an e?

The peak is probably rounded. A cursive s has a small point at the top and a short closing stroke, so make the point sharp and keep the e as a clear loop. If the s peak and the e loop are both round, the middle of the word blurs into Sieter.

Is a capital S good for a sister tattoo?

It looks elegant but is harder to render neatly, because the capital has a loop at the base that can fill in on a small tattoo. Lowercase sister is simpler and ages better, so ask your artist to try both on paper at the real size first.

Can I copy sister in cursive text?

Yes, use the script or bold script versions above. They are Unicode symbols and work in most apps, but screen readers may read them oddly and some devices show boxes. For a matching-gift print, handwrite it or set it in a script font so the joins look natural.