Lesson 1: Forming All English Alphabet Letters (for Handwriting)
Welcome to your first writing lesson! Today, we will learn the most important first step: how to correctly form all 26 English alphabet letters. Good handwriting1 is important because it makes your writing easy for others to read. This is useful when you fill out a form, write your name, or take notes.
Every letter has two forms: an uppercase2 (big letter, e.g., A) and a lowercase3 (small letter, e.g., a). For all letters, remember the most important rule: start from the top and move down.
Group 1: The Straight Line Letters (L, T, I, H, F, E)
These letters are made mostly of straight lines. Master these first.
L l
'L' (Uppercase): Start at the top, draw a straight line down. At the bottom, draw a short line to the right.
'l' (Lowercase): Start at the top, draw one straight line down.
T t
'T' (Uppercase): Start at the top, draw a straight line across. Go to the middle of that line and draw a straight line down.
't' (Lowercase): Start at the top, draw a straight line down. Lift your pencil and cross the line in the middle.
I i
'I' (Uppercase): Draw one straight line from the top down.
'i' (Lowercase): Draw a shorter line from the middle down. Lift your pencil and add a dot above the line.
H h
'H' (Uppercase): Draw a straight line down. Draw another straight line down next to it. Lift and draw a line across to connect them in the middle.
'h' (Lowercase): Draw a tall straight line down. Go back up to the middle and make one "hump" (a curve down to the floor).
F f
'F' (Uppercase): Draw a straight line down. Go back to the top and draw a line across. Add a shorter line across in the middle.
'f' (Lowercase): Make a small curve at the top and draw a straight line down. Lift your pencil and cross the line in the middle.
E e
'E' (Uppercase): Draw a straight line down. Go back to the top and draw a line across. Add a line across the middle and a line across the bottom.
'e' (Lowercase): Start with a dot in the middle. Draw a straight line across to the right, then go up and around in a circle, like a 'c'.
Group 2: The Curve & Circle Letters (C, O, G, Q, S)
These letters are based on the 'c' and 'o' shapes. Try to make them smooth and round.
C c
'C' (Uppercase): Start at the top and draw a big curve around to the left, but leave an opening on the right.
'c' (Lowercase): Same as the uppercase 'C', but smaller.
O o
'O' (Uppercase): Start at the top and draw one continuous circle to the left.
'o' (Lowercase): Same as the uppercase 'O', but smaller.
G g
'G' (Uppercase): Start like a 'C'. When you get to the middle on the right, draw a small straight line inside.
'g' (Lowercase): First, make a small 'c' shape. Close it with a line up, then draw a straight line down with a tail that curves under.
Q q
'Q' (Uppercase): Draw a big 'O'. Then, draw a small slanted line in the bottom right corner.
'q' (Lowercase): First, make a small 'c' shape. Close it with a line up, then draw a straight line down with no tail.
S s
'S' (Uppercase): Start at the top, curve left like a small 'c', then immediately curve the other way to the right.
's' (Lowercase): Same as the uppercase 'S', but smaller.
Group 3: Combination Letters (P, B, R, D, J, U)
These letters combine straight lines and curves.
P p
'P' (Uppercase): Draw a straight line down. Go back to the top and add a curve that stops at the middle of the line.
'p' (Lowercase): Draw a straight line down, starting from the middle and going below the line. Go back to the middle and add a circle on the right.
B b
'B' (Uppercase): Draw a straight line down. Go back to the top and draw a small curve to the middle, then a bigger curve to the bottom.
'b' (Lowercase): Draw a tall straight line down. Go to the middle of the line and draw a circle on the right side.
R r
'R' (Uppercase): Draw a 'P'. From the end of the curve, draw a slanted line down to the right.
'r' (Lowercase): Draw a short line down. Go back up and make a small curve to the right.
D d
'D' (Uppercase): Draw a straight line down. Go back to the top and draw one big curve all the way to the bottom.
'd' (Lowercase): First, make a 'c' shape. Then, from the bottom, draw a tall line straight up, and come back down on the same line.
J j
'J' (Uppercase): Start at the top, draw a line down and curve it at the bottom like a hook.
'j' (Lowercase): Draw a hook shape starting from the middle and going below the line. Add a dot on top.
U u
'U' (Uppercase): Start at the top, draw down, curve at the bottom, and go straight back up to the top.
'u' (Lowercase): Same as 'U', but smaller. After you go up, draw a short line straight down.
Group 4: The Slanted & "Hump" Letters (V, W, X, Y, Z, K, M, N, A)
These letters use diagonal lines or "humps".
A a
'A' (Uppercase): Draw a slanted line down to the left. Go back to the top. Draw a slanted line down to the right. Cross the two lines in the middle.
'a' (Lowercase): First, make a 'c' shape. Then, close it with a short line down on the right side.
M m
'M' (Uppercase): Draw a straight line down. Go to the top. Slant down to the middle, slant back up to the top, then straight down again.
'm' (Lowercase): Draw a short line down. Go back up and make a hump. Go up again and make a second hump.
N n
'N' (Uppercase): Draw a straight line down. Go to the top. Slant down to the bottom right. Draw a straight line back up to the top.
'n' (Lowercase): Draw a short line down. Go back up and make one hump.
V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z, K k
These letters all use slanted lines and are often simpler to form. Practice them by looking at their shapes.
✍️ Key Tips for Good Handwriting
- Start From the Top: Always begin your letter strokes at the top and move down.
- Good Grip: Hold your pen or pencil gently, not too tight.
- Sit Properly: Sit up straight in your chair. This helps you control the pen.
- Take Your Time: When you are learning, speed is not important. Focus on correct formation5.
🧠 Practice Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
Answer the questions based on what you learned.
1. Which uppercase letter is made of only straight lines?
a) S
b) O
c) E
Answer: c) E
2. For the lowercase letter 'b', is the circle on the left or the right side of the line?
Answer: The right side. For 'd', the circle is on the left.
3. How many "humps" does a lowercase 'm' have?
Answer: Two. (A lowercase 'n' has one).
📝 Homework: Practice on Paper
Now, it's time to practice with a pen and paper. Find a notebook with lines to help you.
Part 1: Practice the full alphabet. Copy each letter pair (uppercase and lowercase) three times.
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm
Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Part 2: Practice writing words and a sentence. This sentence uses every letter of the alphabet!
KAMPOT
BOKOR
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Vocabulary Glossary
- Handwriting: (Noun) - សរសេរដោយដៃ - The act of writing with a pen or pencil. ↩
- Uppercase: (Adjective) - អក្សរធំ - The big or capital form of a letter (A, B, C). ↩
- Lowercase: (Adjective) - អក្សរតូច - The small form of a letter (a, b, c). ↩
- Stroke: (Noun) - ការគូស - A single line or movement made when writing a letter. ↩
- Formation: (Noun) - ការបង្កើត - The correct way to shape and write a letter. ↩