Cursive Words

Only in Cursive

How to write the word only in cursive — watch it drawn, trace every stroke, and take the free worksheet to paper.

only takes 1 stroke to write in cursive — o-n-l-y in one continuous stroke. The animation below draws it on the writing lines exactly the way children practice it in Scribble; trace it after, then take the worksheet to paper.

only written in cursive on handwriting guidelines, with a green starting dot and a red stop sign

How to write only in cursive

  1. 1Write o, n, l, y as one continuous stroke, joining each letter to the next without lifting the pencil.
Strokes: 1Pencil lifts: 0Letters: 4

l is a tall letter that reaches toward the topline. y drops below the baseline. o and n stay between the baseline and the midline.

How the letters in only connect

Follow the joins as you write only: o ends on a checkstroke that carries into the overcurve opening of n; n ends on an undercurve that carries into the undercurve opening of l; l ends on an undercurve that carries into the overcurve opening of y.

The letters in only

only is only as good as its letters. Each card links to the full guide — animation, joins, quiz, and worksheet — for that letter.

Trace only in cursive

Now write it yourself. Put your finger or mouse on the green circle and follow every stroke of only — the check only advances while you stay on the line.

Put your finger or mouse on the circle and pull it through the word.

Free printable only cursive worksheet

The free printable only worksheet follows the same order as this page: a trace row with dashed models, a green-dot row to start each attempt, a copy row beside a solid model, and blank lines to fill on your own.

Need a different word? Make a worksheet for any word — free, for any spelling.

Frequently asked questions

Watch it drawn first, then trace it: only is 1 stroke without lifting the pencil, so learn where each stroke begins before writing freely. The worksheet on this page follows that exact trace-copy-practice order.

None — only is a single unbroken stroke from start to finish.

only uses 4 letters: o, n, l, and y. l is a tall letter that reaches toward the topline. y drops below the baseline. o and n stay between the baseline and the midline.

Follow the joins as you write only: o ends on a checkstroke that carries into the overcurve opening of n; n ends on an undercurve that carries into the undercurve opening of l; l ends on an undercurve that carries into the overcurve opening of y.

only starts with the letter o, which opens on a downcurve. Start there every time — the entry stroke is what the trace check on this page listens for first.

Practice writing only with real feedback

Scribble teaches cursive this same way on iPad — watch, trace, write, and get feedback on shape, size, spacing, and slant.

Try Scribble