How to write the letter N

Forming the capital N

N holds one of the very few upward strokes in the whole capital set: the last leg travels from the baseline up to the top line. Name that exception, or children applying 'everything goes down' will lift and restart and break the letter apart. The diagonal-versus-curve gap between N and n is the widest in this group.

Start: Top line, at the left edge of the letter space

1. Pull one tall stroke down the left side, from the top line to the baseline.
2. Return the pencil to that same point on the top line and slant down and to the right, carrying on all the way to the baseline at the right.
3. From the baseline on the right, pull a tall stroke straight up to the top line.

Forming the lowercase n

n is the anchor of the arch family: m, r, h, b and p all reuse the same down-then-arch movement, so it is worth teaching first and teaching well. Contrast it out loud with u, n curves at the top, u curves at the bottom.

Start: On the midline, at the left of the letter space

1. Draw a straight line from the midline down to the baseline.
2. Travel back up the same line to the midline, arch over to the right and come down to the baseline.

Common mistakes with n

These are the errors that actually show up on the page, rather than a generic list. Watching for them while a child writes is far more useful than correcting the finished sheet.

• Writing it upside down as u, or reading the two letters interchangeably.
• Beginning the arch at the baseline and pushing up, so it never actually joins the stem.
• Skipping the retrace, which leaves the arch floating clear of the stem.
• Adding a second arch and producing m.
• Squaring the arch into a corner instead of curving it.

And with the capital N

• The diagonal drawn the wrong way, down to the left, producing a mirrored N.
• A diagonal that stops in the midline space instead of reaching the baseline.
• A final stroke that slants instead of standing upright.
• Confusing N with lowercase n, which is a curved shoulder with no diagonal in it at all.
• Carrying the familiar n/u flip up into the capital.

Letters that move the same way

Downstroke with a retraced arch: A straight line down first, then the pen travels back up that same line to the midline before arching or bowing out to the right. The retrace is what keeps the second part attached to the stem. n is the anchor; m repeats the arch, r stops it short, h raises the stem, b and p close the arch into a bowl.

Teaching these together is more efficient than working through the alphabet in order, because the hand is learning one movement rather than several unrelated ones.

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Practise N with words

Once the letter is reliable on its own, move to words that start with it. Letters learned in isolation often fall apart the first time a child has to join them to anything.