---
title: "Russian Cursive О о (O): How to Write It"
description: "How to write О о (O) in Russian cursive: stroke order, how it joins, how to tell it from а, ю, and 4 example words with audio."
canonical: "https://dailycyrillic.com/learn/russian-cursive/o"
lang: "en"
published: "2026-10-25T11:07:25.000Z"
modified: "2026-10-31T11:50:40.000Z"
author: "Daily Cyrillic"
---

# Russian Cursive О о (O): How to Write It

By [Daily Cyrillic](/about) · Updated 31 Oct 2026

Cursive о is a small closed oval, like a handwritten Latin o, joined to the next letter by a short stroke from its top. The high exit is what makes it different from а. A rounded "o" as in "more" when stressed; unstressed it is reduced to an "a" or "uh" sound.

Reading time: about 2 min.

Sound

/o/, written o

Letter name

о

Often confused with

а, ю

## Turn this guide into words you can use

Build a free Russian set for this topic, with examples and ElevenLabs AI audio.

Оо

О о · о · /o/

## Sound

A rounded "o" as in "more" when stressed; unstressed it is reduced to an "a" or "uh" sound.

## How to write cursive о, step by step

1.  Start at the top right of the x-height.
2.  Draw the oval counterclockwise down the left side and around the bottom.
3.  Close it at the top where you began.
4.  If a letter follows, leave with a small loop or a short horizontal stroke from the top.

## The capital О

Capital О is a large oval, usually closed at the top with a small inward loop. It does not connect to the next letter in most handwriting.

## How it connects to other letters

The connection leaves from the top of the oval, so the following letter starts high. This is why ов and ос look so different from ав and ас.

## Letters it is confused with

-   о / а: а has a downstroke on the right and leaves from the baseline; о has none and leaves from the top.
    
-   о / ю: ю ends in an о-like oval but begins with a separate stem and bar. If there is a stroke before the oval, it is ю.
    

## Example words in cursive

Read the cursive word first, then check the print form and meaning.

Example words in cursive
| Cursive | Print | Transliteration | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| облако | облако | óblako | cloud |
| сок | сок | sok | juice |
| осень | осень | ósen' | autumn |
| кино | кино | kinó | cinema |

## Common mistakes

-   Connecting from the bottom of the oval, which makes о look like а.
-   Leaving the oval open at the top so it reads as с.

## Turn this guide into words you can use

Build a free Russian set for this topic, with examples and ElevenLabs AI audio.

[Full Russian cursive chart](/learn/russian-cursive)

## Keep practising

-   [
    
    Full Russian cursive chart
    
    All 33 letters in print and cursive, how to read handwriting, and a printable worksheet.
    
    ](/learn/russian-cursive)
-   [
    
    The Russian Alphabet
    
    Every printed letter with its name, sound and audio.
    
    ](/learn/russian-alphabet)
-   [
    
    Russian Alphabet Trainer
    
    Quiz yourself on letters and sounds, free and without sign-up.
    
    ](/tools/russian-alphabet-trainer)

Source: https://dailycyrillic.com/learn/russian-cursive/o