Do You Write in Cursive or Print?

Updated on October 13, 2011
R.D. asks from Richmond, VA
39 answers

I remember being SO excited to learn how to write cursive, then hating every second of it.

I still suck at it, so I don't, unless I have to sign my name.

My MIL has the most BEAUTIFUL cursive handwriting... it's the way you'd think angels would write, LOL!!

I only write in print, always, otherwise no one would ever be able to read a thing I've written, it's soooo ugly.

So, just out of curiosity, do you write in cursive or print?

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

I tend to combine them. If writing a note to school, I try to print or type. I pulled the tendons in my right hand several years ago and it cramps up if I write too long so my handwriting is horrible. One of my girls has beautiful handwriting. My son..he will be a doctor.

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★.O.

answers from Tampa on

I usually use a mixture of both, when I'm taking notes and I need to hurry - I write cursive. I have very nice cursive, print and mixture handwriting.

If my children's school doesn't teach cursive, I will.

5 moms found this helpful
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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Both. As in, each word is usually a mixture of both cursive and print.

I got reeeeeeeally bored in school for a few years, and spent my time copying other people's handwriting styles (and learning to write backwards both mirror image backwards and sdarwkcab where the letters are facing the correct way but the words aren't). The handwriting I use for everyday writing actually belongs to a Philippino girl from San Diego.

4 moms found this helpful

✤.J.

answers from Dover on

I use my own kind of hybrid between cursive & print.

4 moms found this helpful

A.S.

answers from Iowa City on

Mine is a combo of cursive and printing.

4 moms found this helpful

☆.H.

answers from San Francisco on

A mixture of both. I know, I should be ashamed of myself, or at least that's what my 3rd grade teacher would say if she knew!

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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

Most of the time I write in cursive. I love it! It seems so easy and practical and time saving to me! I'm a nerd, true, but I hope it doesn't go by the way side with all the new technology nowadays!

3 moms found this helpful

K.J.

answers from Chicago on

I was taught cursive by nuns, so, athough I am not artistic at all, I have beautiful cursive writing. Over the years, however, it has morphed into a print-cursive hybrid. I only print if I am writing something for my son, or writing a "thank you" note or addressing an envelope to my hubby's side of the family, as their native language & alphabet is Arabic, so the English cursive might be difficult to read.

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A.S.

answers from Detroit on

Both.
Sometimes I even mix the two in the same word and sentence.
I get told all the time how pretty my writing is [no matter if print or cursive].
That's why if something has to be handwritten here at work, I'm the person they have do it.

2 moms found this helpful

R.B.

answers from La Crosse on

a mixture of both.
usually cursive.. with print in the same line.
The only time I just print is if its a note to the kids.

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E.J.

answers from Lincoln on

I always wished I had a beautiful signature. Mine is this pathetic scribble.

I always write in print. Same as you when I was in 3rd grade I was so excited. Now I haven't written in cursive since 4th grade. We were taught and then in 5th we could use which ever we preferred. Honestly I would struggle big time if I had to write in only cursive.

Many schools around here don't even teach cursive anymore. It's print and then on to typing. I think it makes sense. Cursive was supposed to be so that one could write faster. Now our version of faster is the keyboard. And as I type this I notice that the font on here and on the keys on my keyboard is indeed print. I don't care my son won't be learning cursive other than his signature. He can be spending his time perfecting other skills in my own opinion.

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K.P.

answers from New York on

If I'm writing for my own notes or minutes... it's a mixture of print and cursive and usually in pencil. If I'm writing a note to someone or for someone, cursive. Many years of prep school "writing drills"- can still form those letters perfectly if I need to!

My father has beautiful handwriting. Most people think things are written by a girl- he'll tell you it's many years of the nuns hanging over his shoulder, but really... beautiful handwriting is an art form!

2 moms found this helpful

G.T.

answers from Redding on

Cursive, but it's my own brand... almost like print but sorta linked together.

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T.C.

answers from Dallas on

I do all three - print, cursive (looks good too!), and then a combination of the two. I used to spend hours writing to try to make my hand writing pretty. I grew up in a house full of girls, and for some reason, we all really worked h*** o* our handwriting. I'm left handed and often surprise people that even lefties can write really good:-)

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M.M.

answers from Chicago on

Print!
I couldn't write legibly in cursive to save my life!

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K.P.

answers from Seattle on

That is so funny you posted this! I was just thinking this yesterday as I wrote on my white board calendar.

I write in both, at the same time. It's like a blended thing. But I've been told it is pretty handwriting, but I'm not so sure. But I guess I'll stick with my moon man language lol.

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B..

answers from Dallas on

Both. If it's casual, I generally print. Anything personal (journaling, scrapbooking, letter writing, etc) I always use cursive. I have good penmanship, in general. My cursive is the best, though. I love writing in cursive!!

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K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I use them all ... depending on what it is.
If it's a note to myself that I do not want to forget, CAPS (print), if it's something others may need to read, Print or Caps print, if it is a love note or something "romantic" cursive - if it's a quick note often cursive too. I use all kinds of writing for whatever suits the moment. For the most part I like my writing, I always have. My sister and I write very simmilarly, but my mom is totally different from us and she is 90% cursive.

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L.L.

answers from Rochester on

Both...depends on how long what I'm writing is, what it's purpose is, etc. If I am writing Christmas cards, letters to people, etc, I always print just because I think it's easier to read and my handwriting looks like type.

When I'm writing a list, note to self, etc, I use cursive because it's faster...but I also have nice cursive. I think it comes from being an artist...writing, to me, is a form of drawing, and I love to do it!! :) I hate reading cursive, though...honestly...and I wish everyone would print. :)

1 mom found this helpful

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

Mine is a combo - some letter connect, some don't.

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H.M.

answers from Dallas on

I print unless I am signing my name. I can't stand to write cursive adn usually when I do you can't read it very well.

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F.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I clearly remember in school the teacher going off on how terrible everyone was doing in cursive and on and on and then she says there is only ONE person in class doing a great job and it was ME!!! I was like "WHAT??". But of course it made me feel great! My handwriting has changed some over the years but I tend to do both, cursive and print. =)

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R.J.

answers from Salt Lake City on

mostly just scribble- I think it used to be cursive but has become scribble

1 mom found this helpful

S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

I like writing in cursive. But I don't believe most people write well enough for cursive. Mine is not pretty, but it's completely legible. I almost never write in cursive though. I teach children to write and even how to read by having them trace my writing. So I am in the habit of writing manuscript.

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L.C.

answers from Dover on

I write in cursive if I want to write quickly.

I write in print if I want people to read it.

1 mom found this helpful

N.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

Mine is a hybrid and I hate it. But whenever I have to do a group writing thing at a training class or in recent years when I was in college (or even in the olden days when I was in jr high and high school) I always got "picked" to write the group notes before we had to recite or whatever. I don't get it.

My child (the ARTIST) had crappy writing! My Mother and Stepmom had that lovely Angel writing you spoke of. Maybe it was that generational thing? I remember my Mom telling me about her cursive (and calligraphy) classes when she was a kid in the 40's and 50's. My dad had the neatest, all caps, printing I ever saw. Weird.

R.A.

answers from Providence on

I do a combination of cursive and print. If i am in a rush, then it's always cursive, which is for the most part unreadable..

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J.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

It depends what I'm writing. If I'm writing a formal-ish note or card to (an adult) someone, I usually write in cursive. If I'm writing a little note to a child, I print. If I'm just writing a note to myself, like a shopping list, it's typically a combination of both.

T.C.

answers from Austin on

I usually print, unless I'm writing on a greeting card or in a journal. When I was in high school, I was so bored during history class I would take notes and each paragraph alternate between print and cursive, left hand and right hand.

J.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

a combo, I'll write in print than include a cursive letter or two for no reason...idk why though

J.✰.

answers from San Antonio on

depends on the pen i'm using, actually.

Ballpoint: print
Uniball (flowing ink type): cursive

and sometimes it depends on what I'm writing:

Thank you note: most often in cursive
Grocery list: a mix of cursive and print
A check: a mix of cursive and print
On my calendar: almost always print

I am one strange character, I guess. :)

B.F.

answers from Toledo on

Cursive all the time, my printing is HORRIBLE.

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M.K.

answers from Dallas on

Cursive. I think there's an age divide where people who write in cursive had penmanship classes in grade school and younger folks where it wasn't focused on so much, or was a side exercise in another class. Nowadays, I think it's been dropped from school completely.

C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I print only unless just to sign my name.

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K.O.

answers from Atlanta on

If someone else has to read it, then I use cursive. If it's only something for me (such as a grocery list), then I use print, only because my printing is pretty illegible.

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S.F.

answers from Utica on

I would love to have nice cursive skills like my Mom. Unfortunately it looks like a first grader practicing their cursive for the first time when I try to write using it. I think I have pretty clean and nice printing though

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

Printing. My signature looks more like printing letters strung together like cursive at this point.
I homeschool and realized that I need to at least teach them how to read cursive along with the plethora of fonts they might encounter on the computer, in books and TV. I realized how many letters I had no idea how to make properly anymore. I can still read it but I can not for the life of me remember how to write most of it.
Printing is a much cleaner and easier to read way of writing IMO.

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S.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

I print, but some of my letters are modeled more after caligraphy. Did you know that some states no longer require schools to teach cursive.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Print.
As in, in architectural handwriting.
Tis' the way I was brought up (my late Dad wrote the same way) and the way I was trained per college doing architectural drafting, and the way I just prefer to write as an adult.

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