How to write cursive A and a
Cursive A is a big oval with a straight line traced back down its right side. It is the same shape as the lowercase a, drawn twice as tall, so once you have one you have both.
Capital A
Tall: baseline to topline.
Just below the topline, on the right side of the letter.
Low on the right, swinging up: the tail reaches a third to half of the way to the midline and runs into the next letter.
Lowercase a
Short: baseline to midline.
At the midline, on the right side of the oval.
Low on the right, swinging up (the tail reaches about a fifth of the way to the midline).
Close the oval before you trace back down. An open top turns the A into a C with an extra line, and the retrace should sit right on the oval, not beside it.
Common mistakes with capital A
- The oval is left open at the top, so the letter reads as a C with a stroke after it.
- The retrace drifts away from the oval and makes a second loop instead of a single line.
- The oval is drawn narrow and upright, so the A looks like a lowercase a scaled up without the slant.
Common mistakes with lowercase a
- The oval is not closed at the top, so the a reads as a c followed by an i without its dot.
- The retrace separates from the oval, leaving a gap or a second loop.
- The oval is drawn too narrow or too wide for the letters around it.
Joining a to other letters
Practice these pairs until the join feels like one movement.
Print a practice sheet for A and a
The sheet has the numbered stroke guide for both letters, rows to trace, two practice words and a blank row for writing on your own.