Slant letters lean. Their lines go down to the right, down to the left, or both: v, w, x, y, z and k.
- v: slant down to the baseline, then slant back up. w does it twice.
- x: slant down to the right, lift, then slant down to the left. The lines cross in the middle.
- y: a short slant down to the baseline, then a long slant from the right side all the way below the baseline.
- z: across, slant down to the left, across again.
- k: a tall line, then a slant in and a slant out.
Key idea
Slants start at the top of the letter and lean the same amount on both sides.
Why it works
Even slants make v and w look balanced, and the long slant of y is what tells a reader it is y and not v.
Worked example: Write y
Which slant of y goes below the baseline?
- The first slant starts on the left at the middle line and stops at the baseline.
- The second starts on the right at the middle line.
- It crosses the first one at the baseline and keeps going down below it.
Answer: The second, long slant from the right.
Common mistake
Making one side of v or w longer than the other, or starting y’s long slant on the left, which makes a backward y. Check: the long slant of y always starts on the right.
For the grown-up. Left-handed writers make the same strokes in the same order; some find it easier to pull the second slant of x toward themselves. Either way, the letter should look the same.