Russian Cursive Alphabet: How to Read and Write It

By Daily Cyrillic · Updated

Russian cursive is the handwritten form of Cyrillic: the same 33 letters as print, but several change shape. Cursive т looks like a Latin m, д like a g and и like a u. Read it by anchoring on unchanged letters, then counting humps: и has two strokes, ш three, and м and л start with a small hook.

Reading time: about 5 min.

Letters
33, each in upper and lower case
Biggest surprise
т looks like m, д like g
Free worksheet
Printable tracing sheet, no sign-up

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Print Т т
ТтТ т
Print Д д
ДдД д
Print И и
ИиИ и
Print Г г
ГгГ г
Print Ш ш
ШшШ ш
Print Я я
ЯяЯ я
Russian cursive alphabet chart: all 33 letters

Russian cursive alphabet chart: all 33 letters

Each card shows the printed letter and its handwritten cursive form, capital and lowercase. Open a letter for stroke order, how it joins, look-alikes and example words with audio.

  1. PrintА аА аA · How to write
  2. PrintБ бБ бBe · How to write
  3. PrintВ вВ вVe · How to write
  4. PrintГ гГ гGe · How to write
  5. PrintД дД дDe · How to write
  6. PrintЕ еЕ еYe · How to write
  7. PrintЁ ёЁ ёYo · How to write
  8. PrintЖ жЖ жZhe · How to write
  9. PrintЗ зЗ зZe · How to write
  10. PrintИ иИ иI · How to write
  11. PrintЙ йЙ йShort I · How to write
  12. PrintК кК кKa · How to write
  13. PrintЛ лЛ лEl · How to write
  14. PrintМ мМ мEm · How to write
  15. PrintН нН нEn · How to write
  16. PrintО оО оO · How to write
  17. PrintП пП пPe · How to write
  18. PrintР рР рEr · How to write
  19. PrintС сС сEs · How to write
  20. PrintТ тТ тTe · How to write
  21. PrintУ уУ уU · How to write
  22. PrintФ фФ фEf · How to write
  23. PrintХ хХ хKha · How to write
  24. PrintЦ цЦ цTse · How to write
  25. PrintЧ чЧ чChe · How to write
  26. PrintШ шШ шSha · How to write
  27. PrintЩ щЩ щShcha · How to write
  28. PrintЪ ъЪ ъHard sign · How to write
  29. PrintЫ ыЫ ыYery · How to write
  30. PrintЬ ьЬ ьSoft sign · How to write
  31. PrintЭ эЭ эE · How to write
  32. PrintЮ юЮ юYu · How to write
  33. PrintЯ яЯ яYa · How to write

How to read Russian cursive

Read cursive in three passes. First, find the letters that keep their print shape (а, е, о, с, у, х): they anchor the word. Second, decode the letters that change shape, above all т (looks like m), д (looks like g), и (looks like u) and г (a small hook). Third, count the humps in any run of up-and-down strokes: и has two, ш has three, and м and л begin with a small hook from the baseline.

Then use context. Handwriting is never read letter by letter for long: once you have the first syllable and the general length, the word usually suggests itself. Adults often add two helper marks that print never has: a bar over т and a line under ш, so a hump series becomes readable at a glance.

Read these words in cursive

Connected handwriting is where the look-alikes meet. Try to read each word before you look at the print line below it.

  • мишка
    Show answerмишка (míshka): teddy bear
  • лишишь
    Show answerлишишь (lishísh'): you will deprive
  • тише
    Show answerтише (tíshe): quieter
  • шиш
    Show answerшиш (shish): nothing at all (colloquial)
  • длина
    Show answerдлина (dliná): length
  • Москва
    Show answerМосква (Moskvá): Moscow
  • спасибо
    Show answerспасибо (spasíbo): thank you
  • здравствуйте
    Show answerздравствуйте (zdrávstvuyte): hello (formal)

Almost everything you read in Russian, books, signs, websites and this page, uses printed (block) Cyrillic, and that is where every learner should start. Russians, however, write by hand in cursive, and cursive shapes can differ strikingly from print. If you only know print, a handwritten note, a whiteboard or a birthday card can be genuinely hard to read.

The good news: cursive is a closed system of 33 shapes, just like print. About half of the letters look like their printed form or like a familiar Latin handwritten letter; the other half you learn once, in pairs with their print form, using the chart below.

Why cursive looks so different

Cursive exists to be written quickly without lifting the pen, so letters are reshaped to connect smoothly. Sharp corners become rounded humps, vertical strokes lean slightly to the right, and several letters collapse toward the same up-and-down motion. The hand prioritises flow over distinctiveness.

That connecting pressure is exactly what creates the look-alikes. When и, ш, м, л and т are all written as series of humps, the only differences are the number of humps and the small entry strokes, which is why counting and context matter so much.

The look-alikes: и, ш, м, л, т

Five letters cause most cursive reading mistakes. и is two connected strokes, like a Latin u. ш is three, like a Latin w with rounded bottoms. т is also three humps, but rounded at the top like a Latin m; many writers add a bar above it. м and л both start with a small hook rising from the baseline: л has two strokes after the hook, м has three.

A practical rule: when you hit a run of humps, check where the rounding is. Rounded at the bottom means и or ш; rounded at the top means т; pointed tops that start with a small hook mean л or м. Then count. The words мишка, лишишь and тише in the practice block below are the classic test.

How cursive letters connect

Most lowercase letters are joined to the next one with a short connecting stroke from the baseline. A few letters change how they join: о, в and б end high, so the following letter starts from the top instead of the baseline. Letters that begin with a hook (л, м, я) attach the hook to the previous letter's exit stroke.

Capital letters are often written separately and the word continues after a small gap, especially after capitals like Г, П, Т and Ф. That is normal and does not mean the writer started a new word.

Common mistakes when writing cursive

Writing т as a printed T with a bar: in Russian cursive the lowercase т is the three-hump m shape, and a printed-style т looks foreign. Writing д like a printed Д: the lowercase cursive д is a round body with a loop below the line, like a Latin g, or the upward-tailed ∂ form.

Starting л and м without the entry hook: without it, л turns into an и and м into a ш. Joining everything: о, в, б and ю end high, so forcing a baseline connection after them makes the next letter unreadable. Uneven humps: legible cursive is mostly about consistent rhythm, not decorative strokes.

Is Russian cursive still used?

Yes. Russian children learn cursive in the first school year from copybooks (прописи), and handwritten Russian in school, at university, in notes, forms and cards is almost always cursive. Block letters are mainly used for filling in official forms, where instructions often ask for printed capitals.

For a learner this means: you can read and type Russian without cursive, but you need it to read anything written by hand by a native speaker.

Tips for learning to write cursive

Learn cursive after printed Cyrillic feels comfortable; doing both at once is needlessly confusing. Start with lowercase letters, slowly and connected, copying a model form like the chart on this page. Say the sound as you write the letter to bind shape and sound.

Drill the look-alike family as a set with short words that mix them (миши, лили, тише). Then copy whole sentences and, eventually, write from dictation. Use the printable worksheet below for tracing practice.

Free printable cursive worksheet

Print a tracing sheet with every capital and lowercase cursive letter and guide lines for copying. No sign-up, no email.

Practice: read it back

The fastest way to learn cursive is to read it, not just write it. Find handwritten Russian, postcards, notes or captions in old photos, and decode it letter by letter with the chart. Each word you read trains your eye for the next one.

Be patient with the hump letters. Everyone struggles with them at first, and everyone gets past it with practice. After a couple of weeks of regular reading, cursive that looked like a scribble becomes ordinary text.

FAQ

How do you read Russian cursive?
Start with the letters that keep their print shape (а, е, о, с, у, х), then decode the ones that change: т looks like m, д like g, и like u. In runs of humps, check the tops: rounded at the bottom means и or ш, rounded at the top means т, and pointed tops after a small hook mean л or м. Then count the strokes. Context does the rest.
Why does the Russian cursive т look like an m?
Because cursive т is built from three connected strokes that are rounded at the top, which is exactly the shape of a handwritten Latin m. Many adults draw a short bar above it to tell it apart from ш, which is rounded at the bottom.
Do I need to learn Russian cursive?
Not to read print, browse the web or type, which all use block letters. You need cursive to read anything a Russian writes by hand. Learn printed Cyrillic first, then add cursive when you want to read or write by hand.
Is Russian cursive still taught in schools?
Yes. Russian children learn cursive in the first school year with copybooks called прописи, and everyday handwriting in Russia is cursive. Printed capitals are mainly used on official forms.
Which cursive letters are the hardest to tell apart?
The hump family: и (two strokes), ш (three strokes, rounded at the bottom), т (three strokes, rounded at the top), plus л and м, which both start with a small hook from the baseline. Count the strokes and use the surrounding letters.
What is the best way to practise Russian handwriting?
Trace and copy letters slowly in lowercase, saying the sound aloud, then drill the look-alikes together in short words. Move on to copying sentences and writing from dictation. Reading real handwriting trains your eye as much as writing does.

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The Russian Alphabet

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Cursive letters set in DC Cursive, a subset of Marck Script by Denis Masharov and Marck Fogel, SIL Open Font License 1.1.

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