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How do you write a letter X?

Anything Left-Handed Research, Fun and games
Research Fun and games

Lefthanders form some letters in a different direction to right-handers because it is easier to move the pen left-handed in an anti-clockwise or right-to-left motion - it gives a smoother flow and minimises scratching and digging-in of the tip. It is also easier to draw lines towards you rather than away.

So... which direction do you write a letter "X" in?

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comment on our Facebook post about this instead :)

The result so far was 58% for number 7 and 32% for number 8, which surprised me as I thought everyone would do 8!

 

Personally, I (Keith) would do number 8 as the first stroke goes right to left for a smooth flow and the second one is an easier move towards the body and leads naturally into starting the next letter.

If you are left-handed - which way do you do it?
(the coloured arrow is the first stroke)

 

We have written a Letter Formation Guide and practice sheets for left-handers and we also have an A3 size laminated writing mat with the letter formations and correct writing position guide.

Left-handed child guides

Lefthanders Club Crossword 2026

Left-handed items jigsaw puzzle

Comments 63

  1. Sian Angus
    How do you draw circle? Clockwise or anti clockwise?
    I am clockwise
    1. Joyce Carter
      I draw a circle (eg upper case O) anti-clockwise
  2. Sian Angus
    How do you draw circle?
  3. Sian Angus
    Definitely 8
  4. Sian Angus
    Think 8 is right.
  5. Carlisle Rogers
    8 for me
  6. Alecia
    8 for print 7 for cursive(or at least my version of cursive)
  7. Heidi
    My first tought was #7 but than I noticed #8 had the same direction but the difference is which arrow you first draw. So for me #8 for sure. Maybe other persons who voted number 7 replied to soon and made the same mistake as I almost did?
  8. Kris
    #7 for me
  9. Rachel
    8 for me!
  10. Christo
    I’d never thought about this - an autonomic response. Actually it is a type of reverse alpha, which makes perfect sense for a left handed person
  11. Angel
    Number 7 for me also!!!
  12. Moira McCullough
    No 7 no matter if it's as a kiss at the end of a letter, or in an actual word
  13. Patricia C Dunn
    Turns out I am a number 7, though I had to try an X to know.

    How do you do a number eight? I tend to put two zeroes atop each other, as the usual figure-eight was difficult for me in school. Anyone else?
    1. Joyce Carter
      I draw a circle (eg upper case O) anti-clockwise
  14. Judy Carrick
    I asked 2 left handed people from work how they write the letter X and they are both #7.
    1. Sian Angus
      Without thinking it is top right to left then top left to right.
  15. Angela Eccleston
    I'd use 7 as it's the easiest, but probably use 6 when the x forms part of a word/
  16. Angela
    I'd use 7. I find it easier.
  17. Daniel Vieira
    8. Of course!
    1. Sian
      Hi I totally agree. Have even practiced with different words and it's 8 for me. Now a circle is also a thing. I draw mine clockwise
  18. Christa
    I'm ambi and I generally do #7; it's how it flows in cursive, and also feels very natural in my left-hand printing. The only exception is when I print with my right hand; then it's #8. It seems downward strokes are more natural than upward ones, in general.
  19. Laura
    It depends whether I am seeing an X alone or as part of a word
  20. Joyce Carter
    I have problems when I am asked to do a back slash / because what seems like a back slash to me is a forward slash to other people. Presumably that is related to the way I write the letter X which for me is number 8 in the examples above.
    1. Linda Jones
      I'm always having my backwards ticks commented on!
  21. Liz
    Number 8 for me. I'm ambidextrous to a great extent. I write with my left hand, throw and play racquet sports left-handed. However, l have never had trouble using a right-handed hockey stick, scissors, tin opener, cork screw etc. In fact, left-handed scissors defeat me. I wonder if those who write the No.8 X are like me and the No.7s much more lefty?
  22. Mary Nasvik
    Sometimes I do #8 and sometimes #7. Depends on my mood.
  23. Duncan
    I seem to do both #7 and #8, depending on the circumstances.
  24. Stephanie Mellring
    You should do a poll on how lefties make check marks!
  25. Norma R
    I do 8. This quiz has been circulated in a cross stitch needlework group I belong to, and was very interesting there too. 7 & 8 were the least used & I wondered if being left-handed made the difference. I have noticed that 20%-25% of stitchers are left handed in the needlwork group I belong to. That seems like a high percentage & I wonder about that too
  26. Larry Reese
    I think that the reason #7 is the favorite is because it is the same way that you write the letter in script.
  27. Linda Jones
    It's odd as I would do 8 in capitols but 7 if the X was in a word.

    Thanks for correcting the glitch Keith.
  28. Paul C
    I do think that the person who taught you how to write also influences how you do the Xs, unless you tailored it early on and developed your own way.

    Secondly, Keith says that #8 sets him off into naturally into starting the next letter, but he had to unnaturally start there from the previous letter :) #6 would be the most ideal one for that.
  29. Alejandro
    I would do numebr 7 and 8
  30. Linda Harris
    And my checkmark looks backwards, the bottom from right to left and the long mark from bottom up to the left.
    1. Mary Nasvik
      That's how I do a check mark too!
    2. Jennifer Williams
      I do my ticks like that too Linda.
  31. Laura Persing
    I write upside down and # 7 for me
  32. Dave Fisher
    When I was in school teachers didn't like the way I made my check marks. They were backwards.
    Still do it at 65 years ago.
    1. Mary Nasvik
      Me too! I've always done my check marks "backwards" 65 years later!!
  33. Lee M
    How about the lowercase letter “i”?
    My grandson amazed me by writing the “i”. He first places the dot on the paper and then puts a line under that. I did not laugh, but I smiled. Very clever.
  34. Bill, New York, USA
    Thanks for this interesting survey - for once I'm in the majority! I'm not a statistical outlier! Hurray for number 7!

    What I find interesting is number 8 holds a substantial group (including your left hand), and that number 3 seems to outshine all the other patterns among the outliers. I also find it interesting that every possible pattern finds some representation in your sample.
    1. Keith Milsom
      Seems I am the outlier this time and I was really surprised - No 7 seems really inefficient to me, going back in the wrong direction before moving on to the next letter, but I guess we do that with the crossing of the "T" as well! Keith
  35. Garry Flowers
    I always write "sideways", i.e away from me, so the answer "5" would actually be a "2"
  36. Kris
    I read the instructions wrong/backwards, and marked #7, but #8 is actually how I make an X.
  37. Mary Lopez
    Learned to write lefty when I was in second grade. Learned script then. Tilt the paper properly and don’t have an overhand
  38. TravisM
    I'm with you Keith. I'm left-handed and have always used method 8.
  39. Leanna
    In my family, lefties rule. I have three sister- three of us are left handed. My Farher was left handed. I have two children. One is left handed. I married another leftie. My left handed son married a left handed woman. No fights about who sits where when we go out to eat!
  40. Judy Carrick
    It would be interesting to see if everyone who picked 7 realized that the coloured line is the first stroke.
    I almost picked 7 as my choice then read the note more carefully. :)
    1. Keith Milsom
      I was wondering that too! Keith
  41. Rob
    It truly shows how much influence is on a left handed person even now a days. And or how much a left handed person can have so much influence on a right handed person. As my wife is a #7 as well as I am. And it only took 9 years lol.

    Lefty Life
  42. Kat
    I use 7 and 8, depending on purpose - if for mathematics, then 7 (I do not know why) and if for cursive writing then 8 (of course). Any other way and we are digging into the paper. Lefties have to be creative problem solvers from the get-go - :/
  43. Debbie
    #7 is how I write my X’s
  44. Kenneth Steenbuck kcubneetS HtenneK
    Gee I am 60% normal #7
  45. Bert F.
    I tried all 8 examples and # 8 is still the easiest and less awkward for me
  46. Faye
    No. 7.
  47. NANCY HOWELL
    I just realized that I do #7 when I am writing the letter "x" in a word. But I do the opposite when I put an "x" in a checkbox!
    1. Bruce K. Haddon
      I just realized reading this response that that is correct. I am sure my writing style (I actually used so-called modified-italic--printing with a slightly cursive element--that distinctly leans left, as I keep a straight hand) was formed by the many years of technical and mechanical drawing, where a lettering guide is used, and the results are "printed". (I have never seen a lettering guide for left-handed writing--the slope set by a lettering guide is always to the right). But a lettering guide positions the next letter by where the last letter ended, which makes, for writing (printing) #7 the natural choice. #8 makes you position the letter on the following letter, which is not even there! It is probably natural to some people (Keith?) but probably leads to some less-than-even spacing. It would be interesting to see the results of this poll for writers of right-to-left languages (except that in most countries where this is the direction of writing, being left-handed can be a cause of mild-to-deathly persecution).
  48. Finn Gustafsson
    It is different if you are Danish or English. The letter "X" is not used verey often in Danish
  49. Ken Johnson
    This is how I draw an x

    https://i.postimg.cc/9M2tmfSP/scan0014.jpg
  50. Susie
    #7!
    1. Debbie H
      #7 is how I write my X’s

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