Nine capitals use slanted lines: A, K, M, N, V, W, X, Y and Z. Like every capital from Capitals with Straight Lines, they go from the top line to the baseline.
- A: from the top, slant down left; from the top again, slant down right; then the bar across.
- M and N: a line down, then slants. The middle of M goes all the way down to the baseline.
- V and W: slant down and back up.
- Z: across the top, slant down to the left, across the bottom.
Key idea
Slant capitals start at the top line, and their slants reach all the way to the baseline.
Why it works
N and Z have a direction. When N slants down to the right and Z slants down to the left, everyone reads them the same way.
Worked example: Which way does N go?
After the first line down, where does the slant of N go?
- Go back to the top of the first line.
- Slant down to the right, to the baseline.
- Then a line down on the right side, from the top line.
Answer: Down to the right.
Common mistake
Writing N or Z backward, or stopping the middle of M halfway up. Check N: the slant goes down to the right, like sliding down a slide from the left.
For the grown-up. Backward N and Z are common in kindergarten and fade with practice. The Practice sheets page can print capitals to trace.