Russian cursive: how letters and words are written by hand
A free tool that shows how Russian letters and words are written in cursive (handwritten) script. Type a word — for example “голубь” — to see it in cursive, play the writing animation, print a tracing worksheet or break handwriting down letter by letter. For schoolchildren, parents and anyone learning Russian.
How to use
Enter any Russian word — for example “голубь”.
The word appears in connected cursive on ruled paper at once.
Press “Write it” to watch the word drawn letter by letter.
Make a tracing worksheet to print, or download a PNG image.
Write any Russian word in cursive and watch every letter form
голубь
In “Connected cursive” mode the word is built from school-cursive letterforms with proper joining strokes — as in a copybook. After “б”, “о” and some capitals the pen lifts; that is a rule of Russian handwriting, not an error. Practice the joins on the printable sheet (Print worksheet).
Press ▶ to see how a letter is written, or 🔊 to hear its name.
Tricky handwritten letters
In handwriting some Russian letters are easy to mix up. Here is what to watch for:
Practice reading
Read the cursive word, then click to check yourself in print letters.
The wall of strokes
In Russian cursive и, ш, л, м and п are made of identical humps. A word built only from them turns into a picket fence: you cannot read it letter by letter — you count the strokes and guess the word by its length. That is why adults struggle with other people’s handwriting, and why schools teach counting elements.
Try counting before you open the answer. The Latin alphabet has no such wall: every letter there has its own height and its own tail.