Cursive D
d is b written the other way round, which is exactly why the two get swapped on paper. A cursive d is a tall letter, and it hands over to the next letter low.
This is the same renderer the generator uses. Open it with d already filled in to change size, rows and guides, then print.
How to write a cursive d
- Start just below the midline and make the same curve as a, closing the bowl on the baseline.
- Carry a straight stroke up from the bowl to the top line.
- Come straight back down the same path to the baseline with no loop.
A d sits in the tall zone. Capital D starts at the top line, sweeps left into a big bowl and closes on the baseline.
Joining d to the next letter
d finishes on the baseline, so the join is low. da, do, ed.
Where it usually goes wrong
The bowl is left open, which turns d into a tall cl. The bowl must close before the stem rises. This is also where reversals start: d closes the bowl on the left and then climbs, b climbs and then closes the bowl on the right.
Words to practise after the letter
Once the single letter holds its shape, put it into short words where it appears once: dog, day, red. Type any of them into the generator above and it will lay out eight ruled rows of tracing for you.