31 October 2026
Four-line notebook writing: where every letter goes, A to Z
A four-line notebook gives every letter a fixed place. Small letters such as a, c and e sit in the middle space. Tall letters such as b, d and h rise to the top line. Letters with tails such as g, p and y drop to the bottom line. Once a child knows which group a letter belongs to, their letters come out the same size every time, and that is most of what makes handwriting look neat.
The four lines
Count the lines from the top:
- The first line: the top. Tall letters and capitals reach it.
- The second line: the top of the middle space.
- The third line: the writing line. Every letter sits on it. In many notebooks it is printed in red or a darker colour.
- The fourth line: the bottom. Only tails go down to it.
The space between the second and third lines is the middle space, the most used part of the page.
The letter groups
| Group | Letters | Where they go |
|---|---|---|
| Small letters | a, c, e, i, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, x, z | Middle space only, between the second and third lines |
| Tall letters | b, d, f, h, k, l | From the first line down to the third |
| The letter t | t | A little shorter than the tall letters, crossed on the second line |
| Tail letters | g, j, p, q, y | From the second line down to the fourth |
| Capital letters | A to Z | From the first line down to the third |
Two letters need a note. In print, f is a tall letter. In cursive it often uses all four lines, with a loop above and a tail below. And the dots of i and j sit just below the first line, never far above it.
Writing small and capital letters A to Z
Start with the small letters in their groups, not in alphabet order. A child who writes all the middle-space letters in one sitting learns what “the same size” feels like. Then add the tall letters, then the tails. Capitals come last, because they all use the same space and are easy to check against each other.
A simple order to practise:
- Middle-space letters: c, o, a, e, then i, u, then m, n, r, then s, v, w, x, z.
- Tall letters: l, t, then h, k, b, d, then f.
- Tail letters: j, g, q, then p, y.
- Capitals: A to Z, checking that each one touches the first and third lines.
Common mistakes
- Small letters that touch the first line. They should stay in the middle space.
- Tall letters that stop short of the top line, so h looks like n and l looks like i.
- Tails that do not reach the fourth line, or run into the line below.
- Letters floating above the third line instead of sitting on it.
- Capitals and tall letters at different heights in the same word.
A practice routine for the four-line notebook
Ten to fifteen minutes a day works better than a long session once a week.
- One row of a single letter, saying its group out loud: “middle space” or “tall”.
- One row of short words that mix groups, such as “bag”, “dog”, “help”, “jump”.
- One sentence copied from a school book.
- A quick check with a pencil: tick the letters that sit on the third line and touch the right lines.
When the four lines feel easy, try two-line or single-line notebooks. The sizes your child learned stay with them.
Is four-line writing only for young children?
It is used most in the early classes, but older children with uneven letters benefit from going back to it for a few weeks. It is the quickest way to reset letter size. See also our guides to handwriting for UKG and handwriting for class 2.
How this connects to style
The four lines work for every style: print, semi-cursive and cursive. Only the joins change. If your child is moving to joined writing, read print vs cursive handwriting first. And if b and d keep swapping places, our guide to b and d confusion has a practice plan.
Letter size and the baseline are two of the things Sudhir Sir looks at in the free handwriting check. Send one page to see what he notices.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write in a four-line notebook?
Small letters go in the middle space, tall letters and capitals reach the top line, tails drop to the bottom line, and every letter sits on the third line.
Which letters go in the middle space?
a, c, e, i, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, x and z.
Which letters touch the fourth line?
The letters with tails: g, j, p, q and y. In cursive, f often does too.
How should capital letters be written in a four-line notebook?
From the first line down to the third line. They are the same height as tall small letters such as b, d and h.
Why does my child’s handwriting look uneven?
Most often because the letters are different sizes. Practising the letter groups in a four-line notebook fixes this faster than anything else.
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