Russian Cursive Т т (Te): How to Write It
By Daily Cyrillic · Updated
Cursive т looks like a handwritten Latin m: three downstrokes joined by arches at the top. In adult handwriting a short bar is often drawn above it to separate it from ш. A crisp t with the tongue against the upper teeth and no puff of air.
Reading time: about 2 min.
- Sound
- /t/, written t
- Letter name
- тэ
- Often confused with
- ш, Latin m
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Sound
A crisp t with the tongue against the upper teeth and no puff of air.
How to write cursive т, step by step
- Draw a short upward lead-in, then a downstroke from the midline to the baseline.
- Retrace up and make a rounded arch to the right, coming down to the baseline.
- Make a second identical arch and downstroke.
- Finish with a small exit hook at the baseline; optionally add a short bar above the letter.
The capital Т
Capital Т in cursive looks like a large script m with rounded tops; some people write it as a print-like T with a wavy top bar.
How it connects to other letters
т connects on both sides like m. Before и or ш the humps run together, which is why the bar on top matters in real handwriting.
Letters it is confused with
т / ш: ш is three pointed downstrokes joined at the bottom (like w); т has rounded arches joined at the top (like m). Bars: above for т, below for ш.
т / Latin m: It looks like m but sounds t: тот in cursive can look like "mom" to an English reader.
Example words in cursive
Read the cursive word first, then check the print form and meaning.
| Cursive | Transliteration | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| тут | тут | tut | here |
| туман | туман | tumán | fog |
| театр | театр | teátr | theatre |
| тетрадь | тетрадь | tetrád' | notebook |
Common mistakes
- Writing the print shape Т inside cursive words, which breaks the connections.
- Reading it as m because of its shape.
- Leaving out the bar when it sits next to ш or и, making the word unreadable.
Turn this guide into words you can use
Build a free Russian set for this topic, with examples and ElevenLabs AI audio.