# Can you write in cursive all the alphabet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 12, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544 "2009-10-12T16:43:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/21 "2009-10-12T18:39:19Z")
I can. I just don’t. People have trouble reading my handwriting when I print it. I can’t even read my own cursive. ---
**Author:** ![Marienee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Marienee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marienee)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/22 "2009-10-12T19:00:00Z")
Yes, of course. Though the school my kids attend here in the Netherlands begins with teaching cursive – as far as I can tell they are not taught formally to print – and I discovered that the cursive letters (and also some of the numbers) are formed differently here. So I had to go ask for an alphabet card from the school as a guide for their writing at home. My eldest could already write when we moved so it was a long row to hoe for his teacher to get him to quit “writing in American” or combining the letters from the one and other alphabet. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/23 "2009-10-12T19:01:11Z")
I refuse to ever write a cursive “z” again. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/24 "2009-10-12T19:09:46Z")
I cannot, for the life of me, remember how to make a lower case “b”. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/25 "2009-10-12T19:11:52Z")
It kind of looks like a wang. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/26 "2009-10-12T19:19:46Z")
Not only can I write in cursive with the Latin alphabet, but I’ve recently learned how to write cursive using the Cyrillic alphabet as well. That takes a lot of concentration, as the Cyrillic cursive lowercase Ts look like Latin lowercase Ms, the Ps look like Ns, the Is look like Us, the Ds look like Gs, [and so on](https://refugee.wikispaces.com/file/view/alph.jpeg/30608685). It’s fun. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/27 "2009-10-12T19:25:27Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I can. I just don’t. People have trouble reading my handwriting when I print it. I can’t even read my own cursive. That has always been a problem. Sometimes you have to read somebodies writing for months before you can tell what everything says. I don’t care if you write cursive in another language than English. It counts. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/28 "2009-10-12T19:48:13Z")
Yes, in Latin and Cyrillic letters. My Cyrillic handwriting used to be for shit because no one ever properly taught me, and I developed my own weird print version of writing. But I’m taking Russian this year and my professor insists we write in proper cursive and now it’s all pretty. I don’t usually follow the cursive I was taught in 4th grade, but I certainly remember it. The Q=2 and all. I have very nice handwriting, if I do say so myself. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/29 "2009-10-12T20:33:40Z")
I like to think I’m not THAT old (38) but I was surprised to learn only recently that cursive was no longer taught to every child in school. 😕 In other words, yes. I know all of the capital and lowercase letters in cursive. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/30 "2009-10-12T20:44:14Z")
Yes. I’ve been working on this with my children, so I have an advantage. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/31 "2009-10-12T20:59:39Z")
This came up in our house a few months ago when my wife stumbled on a site that lets you create a computer font from your own handwriting (or printing): [http://www.yourfonts.com/](http://www.yourfonts.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/32 "2009-10-12T21:09:11Z")
Yes, in both English and Russian (Cyrillic) and I think Arabic qualifies as cursive too. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/33 "2009-10-12T21:13:38Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > Not only can I write in cursive with the Latin alphabet, but I’ve recently learned how to write cursive using the Cyrillic alphabet as well. That takes a lot of concentration, as the Cyrillic cursive lowercase Ts look like Latin lowercase Ms, the Ps look like Ns, the Is look like Us, the Ds look like Gs, [and so on](https://refugee.wikispaces.com/file/view/alph.jpeg/30608685). It’s fun. 🙂 I learned Cyrillic cursive in college. That was great fun! ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/34 "2009-10-12T21:18:00Z")
I can write the entire alphabet in my two different cursive styles (I have one more traditional right-slanting one and one that is straight up and down. I usually use the straight up and down one, but sometimes I’m in the mood for a change) and in the exact model writing style we learned in school. I’m not that old (27) but I went to Catholic school where we were graded on penmanship until we left grade school. In fact, even my printing apparently shows that. I worked in a garage in high school and when I filled out work orders, customers often would say, “went to Catholic school, huh?” because of the neatness of my writing. On the other hand, my fiance never writes in cursive and has a hard time even reading it. ---
**Author:** ![Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/35 "2009-10-12T21:22:31Z")
I can (and generally do) write in cursive. I was surprised this weekend to find out that not everyone can do it anymore. I have a nephew that graduated from college this spring and apparently he can’t read cursive handwriting. He had some graduation cards he handed to my sister for her to read to him because he couldn’t read the cursive writing on them. ---
**Author:** ![foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9a140/32.png) [@foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolscap)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/36 "2009-10-12T21:25:57Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > I learned Cyrillic cursive in college. That was great fun! My cursive is a mixture of cyrillic and english. for example I use the russian n for my capital H It looks better that way. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/37 "2009-10-12T21:54:35Z")
Yes, quite easily. I can also do it in two foreign languages, one of which is all cursive and written from right to left. ---
**Author:** ![pharris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f1d935/32.png) [@pharris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pharris)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/38 "2009-10-12T22:03:16Z")
My capital Q still looks like a big 2. I learned it in grade school, and got high marks for penmanship, but no one knows what the hell I’m writing now! ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/39 "2009-10-12T22:41:28Z")
> [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](#): > > Yes, quite easily. I can also do it in two foreign languages, one of which is all cursive and written from right to left. Similar here, but I can only claim one non-English language (Persian). I’m kind of waffly as to whether Persian and Arabic handwriting really counts as cursive, since I don’t think of either language as having a form analagous to Roman-alphabet “block printing.” ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544/40 "2009-10-12T23:02:22Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Yes, but then I’m old and learned it in school. Same here. My Gs, Js, Qs, and Ss suck, though, so I usually substitute for them when I write longhand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-write-in-cursive-all-the-alphabet/513544.md?page=3)