How to Write Letter L: One Long Leg, One Little Foot (Free Tracing Sheets)

Big L is a long line down from the top line to the bottom line, then a short line out to the right along the bottom line. Many schools teach it as one stroke without lifting the pencil. Little l is just one tall line, from the top line straight down. The two things to watch: the foot must point to the right, and little l must start at the very top. Because L uses only straight lines — the first lines children learn to copy — it is often one of the earlier letters they manage.

The Letter L Rhyme (original)

Long leg down from the top to the ground,

Little foot out — don’t turn it around!

One long leg and one little shoe,

That’s big L waving hello to you.

Say the rhyme slowly while your child draws. “Long leg down” is the first line. “Little foot out” is the second. “Don’t turn it around” is the reminder that stops a backwards L before it starts.

✏️ How to Write Uppercase L — Step by Step

L is one of the easiest capitals, because it has no curves and no slants. That makes it a great letter for building good habits: start at the top, and move to the right.

1. Start on the top line. Put the pencil on the top line, near the left side of the space.
2. Long leg down. Pull a straight line down until you touch the bottom line. Stop there.
3. Little foot out. Without lifting the pencil, slide along the bottom line to the right. Keep the foot short — about half as long as the leg.

One stroke or two? Handwriting Without Tears teaches big L as “big line down, little line across the bottom” and asks children not to lift the pencil at the corner. Some worksheets show the foot as a second stroke. Both make a correct L. If your child’s school has a way, use that one at home too.

✏️ How to Write Lowercase l

The Little l Rhyme (original)

Start at the top and zoom straight down,

Little l is the tallest stick in town!

1. Start on the top line — not the middle line. Little l is a tall letter, as tall as big L.
2. Zoom straight down to the bottom line and stop.

That’s it — one stroke. The only real choice is the end of the line. Most US print programs, like Handwriting Without Tears and Zaner-Bloser, finish with a plain straight stop. D’Nealian adds a small “monkey tail” flick at the bottom, and many UK schools that teach pre-cursive handwriting do the same. Both are correct. Match the style on your child’s classroom wall.

🍎 The Teacher’s Version

The classroom version — short words teachers say out loud while children write:

In UK schools using Read Write Inc. phonics, little l comes early, in Set 1, and the picture cue is simply a long leg going down. If your child comes home talking about a “leg,” that is why — and it fits our rhyme nicely.

⚠️ The Two L Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)

Mistake 1: The foot points the wrong way. A backwards L, with the foot going left, is very common in the preschool years. Children’s brains are used to seeing objects from any side — a cup is still a cup when it faces left. Letters are the first things where the direction changes the meaning, so it takes practice.

Fix: Use your child’s own left hand. Hold both hands up, palms away from you, and stick out the thumbs and pointer fingers. The hand that makes a correct L is the left hand. So the L on the page should look just like the left hand. “L looks like my Left hand” fixes the letter and teaches left from right at the same time.

Mistake 2: Little l is too short. Children often start little l on the middle line. Then it looks like an i with no dot, or even like the number 1.

Fix: Put a small green dot on the top line and say “tall letters touch the sky.” Little l, b, d, h and k all start up there. If your child mixes up l and capital I, point out that in class print, capital I usually wears a “hat” and “shoes” (small lines at the top and bottom), while little l is a plain stick.

Other small things you might see: a foot as long as the leg (that’s fine for now — praise the direction first), or a leg that leans. Leaning lines get straighter as hand control grows, so there is no need to correct every one.

🎵 L Songs to Sing While You Trace

Both songs are our own words, set to old public-domain tunes you already know.

Song 1: “Long Leg Down” (tune: London Bridge Is Falling Down)

Long leg down to the ground,

to the ground, to the ground.

Long leg down to the ground,

Then the foot goes out!

Trace the leg on the first three lines and slide the foot out on “out!” London starts with L too, so this one is easy to remember.

Song 2: “Little l Is Tall and Thin” (tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)

Little l is tall and thin,

tall and thin, tall and thin.

Start up high and zoom right in,

Lamb and lion begin with l!

Singing while writing gives each stroke a beat, and it is one reason rhymes help little ones remember what their hands should do.

🧩 Fun Activities to Practice Letter L

1. Be an L. Sit on the floor with a straight back and legs stretched out in front. Your body is an L! Ask your child to sit “like an L” for story time.
2. Left-hand check. Before writing, your child makes an L with the left hand and puts it on the table next to the paper. Now they can copy the direction.
3. Stick L. Give one long stick and one short stick (ice-cream sticks or straws). Your child builds an L, then swaps the sticks and asks: “Does this still look like an L?”
4. Leaf L. Collect leaves outside and lay them in a big L shape on the ground — a long line of leaves, then a short one to the right.
5. Tall-letter hunt. In a picture book, find every little l. Is it as tall as the b’s and d’s? Count them together.

Safety note: Stay close for any activity with sticks, straws or leaves. For children under 3, choose large pieces that can’t fit in the mouth, and check leaves are from safe, non-thorny plants.

🦁 Words That Start With L

Sound tip: the letter’s name is “el,” but the sound is a long “llll.” Show your child that the tip of the tongue goes up behind the top teeth. Many young children say “wion” for lion. That is a normal stage (see the questions below), so just repeat the word back clearly — no need to correct.

Letter L Tracing Sheets

Five pages: big L with start dots and arrows, tall little l, a left-hand L match, an L picture-word page, and a Hindi ल page. Free for home and classroom use.

🌱 Moral of the Rhyme

Big L stands tall first, and only then steps forward. That is a good way to learn anything: stand steady, then take one small step at a time. A wobbly L today is still a step. Keep the feet pointing forward, and let your child walk at their own pace.

❓ Questions Parents Ask

More letters in the series

• Letter A’s pointy mountain top
• B’s tall back and round tummies
• C’s curl, the first round letter
• D’s straight side and big round front
• Turn an L into E with two more lines
• Why F’s lines stay up high