This big family shares a start. M, N, U, V, W, X, Y and Z start with a small hook or a hill near the top, then slant down. H and K start with a slant line from the top.
- M and N: a hook, then hills down: three slants for M, two for N.
- U: a hook, slant down, round at the bottom, up, then down again and out.
- V: a hook, slant down to a point, then up to the top line.
- Y: like U, with a loop tail below the baseline.
- H and K: two strokes down from the top; H adds a bar across.
Key idea
Hook, then slant down. U is round at the bottom and comes back down; V comes to a point and ends at the top.
Why it works
U and V look alike at the start. Where they end tells them apart: U ends on the baseline and joins; V ends high at the top line.
Worked example: U or V?
How do you tell cursive U from V?
- Look at the bottom: U is round, V is a point.
- Look at the end: U comes back down to the baseline.
- V goes up and stops at the top line.
Answer: U is round and ends low; V is pointed and ends high.
Common mistake
Leaving off the starting hook of M and N, or mixing up U and V. Check M and N: hook first.
For the grown-up. See capitals M and N and review of Q, U, V, W in the Palmer guides.