How to write a cursive B
The b shares the tall loop of l but adds a belly. If a child can write l, the b is one extra curve. Watch that the loop height matches l precisely, or words look uneven.
Drawing the capital
Draw a tall loop up from the baseline, come down to the baseline, then curve right and around to close the lower loop with an exit stroke.
Drawing the lower case
Start with the tall loop, descend to the baseline, curve up and around into the small belly, then exit right.
The join after B
b joins from its right-side tail into the next letter. In 'bb' the second b starts from the first's exit stroke.
Where it goes wrong
The loop too small or too wide, and the belly not closing — both make b look like l or h.
Setting up practice for B
Three things decide whether practice works: the surface, the tools and the length. A flat table, a pencil with a visible point and lined paper with a midline — that is the whole setup. Sessions of ten minutes beat sessions of thirty; a child who practices tired learns a tired version of the letter, and unlearning it costs more than the extra minutes gained. For the B specifically, print two copies of the worksheet: one for the first attempt, one for the comparison at the end of the week.
The adult version of B
Adult cursive drifts away from the school model: the loop gets taller and the belly smaller. That is normal — handwriting is a tool, not a museum piece. But when an adult wants to improve legibility, the fix is always the same: go back to the school letterform for a week, then let speed return on its own. The letter below the drift is still the letter; B does not change its identity at speed.
Where B sits in the three zones
Cursive measures every letter against three horizontal lines: the top line, the midline and the baseline. B occupies the top zone as well as the middle. Keeping that height consistent is what makes a page of handwriting look even — a letter that drifts up or down is the first thing a teacher notices, before any question of style.
Words to practice
be by big bed book
These words appear on the printable B worksheet (PDF, 1 page), which also carries trace models for both cases and blank practice lines.
What a correct B looks like
- Height: reaches the top line, like l and k.
- Start and exit: begins with a tall loop, ends ready to join the next letter.
- Proportion: the loops and curves stay even across a line — uneven Bs are the first sign of rushed practice.
Download the B worksheet (PDF) All 26 letters
New to cursive? Start with the beginner guide.