Cursive O
ModerateOval lettersA lowercase cursive o is a closed oval that exits from the top right at the midline, with a small horizontal tail rather than a baseline upstroke.
Lowercase and capital O in cursive
- Headline
- The top line. Tall letters β b, d, f, h, k, l β reach it; t stops just short.
- Midline
- The x-height line. Short letters such as a, c, e, n and o stop here.
- Baseline
- The writing line. Every letter sits on it.
- Descender
- Below the writing line, for f, g, j, p, q, y and z.
Copy cursive O symbols
Four Unicode script forms of the letter, ready to paste. Tap any card to copy the single character.
Lowercase cursive o
β΄
The standard script form of a lowercase o. The most widely supported of the four β it renders on effectively every current device.
Capital cursive O
πͺ
The script capital O, used to start a styled name. Well supported, though a few of the capitals come from a different Unicode block.
Bold lowercase o
πΈ
A heavier weight of the same letterform. Slightly less widely supported β older Android builds may show an empty box.
Bold capital O
π
The bold script capital O. The most decorative of the four and the most likely to be missing a glyph on older devices.
| Style | Character | Unicode name |
|---|---|---|
| Lowercase cursive o | β΄ | Mathematical Script Small O |
| Capital cursive O | πͺ | Mathematical Script Capital O |
| Bold lowercase o | πΈ | Mathematical Bold Script Small O |
| Bold capital O | π | Mathematical Bold Script Capital O |
These are Unicode characters, not a font, and not a picture of handwriting β the stroke-order guidance above is the handwritten form. They paste into most bios and display names, but usernames on Instagram, X, TikTok, Discord and Roblox reject them, and screen readers announce them character by character.
How to write a lowercase o in cursive
- 1
Start just below the midline and curve up and left into the oval.
Pen finishes at the midline
- 2
Carry the curve around and down to the baseline.
Pen finishes at the baseline
- 3
Bring the stroke back up the right side to close the oval at the midline.
Pen finishes at the midline
- 4
Exit with a small horizontal tail to the right at the midline.
Pen finishes at the midline
How to write a capital O in cursive
- 1
Begin just below the headline and curve up and left.
Pen finishes at the headline
- 2
Sweep down the left side in a wide arc to the baseline.
Pen finishes at the baseline
- 3
Curve right and back up to close the oval near the headline.
Pen finishes at the headline
- 4
Finish with a small inward loop and a horizontal tail to the right.
Pen finishes at the headline
Joining o to other letters
Coming in
An upstroke arrives at the midline and turns left into the top of the oval.
Going out
Exits high at the midline β part of the b/o/v/w high-exit group.
- β΄π
ou
High exit dropping into the u valley. Common in "out", "found", "about".
- β΄π
on
High exit into the first n arch; the connecting stroke stays almost flat.
- β΄β΄
oo
Two high-exit ovals. Keep the connecting tail short or the pair looks stretched.
Common mistakes with cursive o
Exiting from the baseline like a, which breaks the following join.
Fix: o finishes at the midline with a horizontal tail. This is the defining feature.
Leaving the oval open at the top, so o reads as u or v.
Fix: Close the oval fully before drawing the exit tail.
Drawing a perfect circle rather than a slanted oval.
Fix: o takes the same slant and the same oval as a, c and d.
Letters cursive o is mistaken for
| Confused with | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| a | a has a straight right wall and exits at the baseline; o is fully round and exits at the midline. |
| e | A small o with a filled centre reads as e. |
| v | An o left open at the top collapses into v, since both exit high. |
Practice words and names with o
Each of these puts o next to a different kind of join, so working through the list covers more than repeating the letter alone.
Words
- β΄πβ―πover
- π»β΄β΄πΉfood
- πΆπ·β΄ππabout
- β΄ππ½β―πother
- β΄ππΎβ΄πonion
Names
- πͺππΎππΎπΆOlivia
- πͺπβ―πOwen
- πͺππΈπΆπOscar
- πͺπ π½β―ππΎπΆOphelia
Printable o practice sheet
Tracing rows on four-line guides for both cases, plus the words above. Prints on one page.
Copy and paste cursive O
The handwriting guidance above is about forming the letter with a pen. If what you actually want is script-style text to paste into a bio or a username, use this instead.
Script characters
πͺππΎππΎπΆ
These are Unicode mathematical script characters, not a font. They paste into most social bios and usernames, but screen readers announce them character by character and some sites strip them β so avoid them in anything that needs to stay accessible or searchable.
About the letter o
o is rated moderate rather than easy only because of its exit. The oval itself is the same one used for a, c and d, but o is the only member of the family that finishes high, and that catches people out constantly. An o that exits at the baseline forces the next letter to start low, and the resulting join either breaks or loops awkwardly downward.
The small horizontal tail is a real part of the letter, not a flourish. In "oo" and "on" that tail is the entire connection, and omitting it leaves a visible gap between letters.
Along with b, v and w, o is worth practising as a group β the four high-exit letters. Drilling "ov", "ow", "ob" and "oo" together trains the one habit that all four share.
Learn these together: oval letters
These letters share the same base motion as o, so practising them as a group is faster than taking them alphabetically.
Frequently asked questions
What does a cursive o look like?
A lowercase cursive o is a closed oval that exits from the top right at the midline, with a small horizontal tail rather than a baseline upstroke.
How do you write a capital O in cursive?
1. Begin just below the headline and curve up and left. 2. Sweep down the left side in a wide arc to the baseline. 3. Curve right and back up to close the oval near the headline. 4. Finish with a small inward loop and a horizontal tail to the right.
Is cursive o hard to write?
It is rated moderate. o is rated moderate rather than easy only because of its exit. The oval itself is the same one used for a, c and d, but o is the only member of the family that finishes high, and that catches people out constantly. An o that exits at the baseline forces the next letter to start low, and the resulting join either breaks or loops awkwardly downward.
Which letters does cursive o connect to?
Exits high at the midline β part of the b/o/v/w high-exit group. "ou" β High exit dropping into the u valley. Common in "out", "found", "about". "on" β High exit into the first n arch; the connecting stroke stays almost flat. "oo" β Two high-exit ovals. Keep the connecting tail short or the pair looks stretched.
Why does my cursive o look wrong?
Exiting from the baseline like a, which breaks the following join. o finishes at the midline with a horizontal tail. This is the defining feature. Leaving the oval open at the top, so o reads as u or v. Close the oval fully before drawing the exit tail. Drawing a perfect circle rather than a slanted oval. o takes the same slant and the same oval as a, c and d.