Capital G in Cursive: How to Write It
The cursive capital G is built from one grand sweep — a big open curve from the top line down to the baseline — plus the small inward shelf that turns a C into a G. It's a letter that rewards confidence: hesitant Gs collapse into Cs. The sample on this page is an open-source cursive font, so expect your hand to add its own character.
G
The letterforms on this page are rendered in Cedarville Cursive, an open-source font — school styles like Zaner-Bloser or D'Nealian differ in details. Treat the steps as the source of truth for stroke order; let the sample show you one possible shape.
Write it step by step
- 1Start at the top line, a little right of centre. Sweep left and down in one smooth counterclockwise curve, rounding the bottom and ending at the baseline — the big C sweep.
- 2At the baseline, curl the stroke up and inward toward the centre of the letter, finishing just inside the curve. Keep it small — the inward curl is a hook, not a second loop.
- 3Lift the pen and add the shelf: a short stroke entering from the right side, level with the middle of the letter, pushing toward the centre.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Closing the curve. The sweep should stay open on the right — once it closes into a circle, the shelf has nowhere to land and the G reads as a fancy O.
- An oversized shelf. The crossbar is the shortest stroke in the letter; push it past the curve's right edge and the G starts looking over-engineered.
- Starting the sweep too low. Enter at the top line — a G that begins mid-height loses the room for the bottom curl and ends up half a line tall.
Practice words
Grace · Georgia · Ginger · Gabriel · Gold
Turn this letter into a practice sheet
Opens a cursive tracing sheet with this lesson's words filled in. Download the PDF and print it.
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Frequently asked questions
Does a cursive capital G connect to the next letter?
In most school styles, no — capitals are left open at the bottom and the next letter starts fresh. Some writers extend the bottom curl into a join; it works, but it changes the letter's shape, so decide deliberately rather than by accident.
What's the difference between cursive G and cursive C?
Two things: the small inward curl at the bottom of the sweep, and the shelf entering from the right. C has neither. If you can't tell your capitals apart at a glance, the shelf is usually missing or too small.
How big should a capital G be?
Headline to baseline — the full body of the line, like all capitals. The most common size error is a G that starts below the top line and ends up dwarfed by the lowercase letters around it.
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