Trace the Letter Y
Preschool · 3–5Dashed guides and a practice row for the uppercase Y and lowercase y. A small v, then a third stroke down through the line and hooking left. Without that tail it is just a v. Y is for yo-yo, yarn and yak — say the sound rather than the letter name as your child traces. Print on A4 or US Letter.
Stroke order for Y
Lowercase y is a small v — down-right, up-right — and then a third stroke straight down from the top of the second arm, through the writing line and hooking left. Three strokes, and the third is the one that makes it a y.
Capital Y is different: two short diagonals meeting in the middle, then a vertical stem straight down to the line, no descender.
The tail is not optional
A lowercase y without its descender is a v. Because the tail is the identifying feature rather than a flourish, it is worth naming as such — this stroke is the part that makes it a different letter.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I stop y being written as v?
- Make the tail the point of the letter rather than a flourish. A y without its descender is a v, so the stroke below the line is what makes it a different letter.
- Is Y a vowel or a consonant?
- Both, depending on position — a consonant in yellow, a vowel in happy and my. Teach the consonant sound first; the vowel job matters once they are reading.