Russian Cursive Э э (E): How to Write It
By Daily Cyrillic · Updated
Cursive э is a backward c with a short horizontal bar in the middle, like a mirrored е. It is mostly found at the start of words and in loanwords. A plain open e as in "met", without the y-glide that е has.
Reading time: about 2 min.
- Sound
- /e/, written e
- Letter name
- э
- Often confused with
- е, з
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Sound
A plain open e as in "met", without the y-glide that е has.
How to write cursive э, step by step
- Start at the top left with a small hook or dot just below the midline.
- Curve up and around to the right, like the back of a reversed c.
- Sweep down to the baseline and finish curving left.
- Add a short horizontal bar from the middle of the curve pointing inward.
The capital Э
Capital Э is the same reversed curve enlarged, with a bar in the middle; it is common, since many words begin with э.
How it connects to other letters
The curve opens to the left, so э connects poorly from the previous letter; writers usually lift the pen before it and join after it from the bottom.
Letters it is confused with
э / е: е opens to the right with a loop; э opens to the left with a bar. Compare это (э) with еда (е).
э / з: Cursive з also bulges to the right but has a long descender; э stays on the line.
Example words in cursive
Read the cursive word first, then check the print form and meaning.
| Cursive | Transliteration | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| это | это | éto | this, that is |
| этаж | этаж | etázh | floor, storey |
| поэт | поэт | poét | poet |
| экран | экран | ekrán | screen |
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the middle bar, so it reads as a reversed с.
- Adding a y-sound as with е.
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