Backtrack-Free Cursive
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The author designed a backtrack-free cursive script for English, eliminating pen lifts for letters like i, t, and x.
The author, a Russian native, finds English cursive frustrating because letters like i and t require backtracking (adding strokes later). Analyzing Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, they found English required 0.68 backtracks per word, Russian only 0.066. They designed a one-stroke script based on SmithHand and Russian cursive: x becomes two mirrored c's; t uses an auxiliary line like a mirrored '4'; i and j use a tight loop above the midline that flows into the stem. The full alphabet is provided, and the author reports using it successfully for months.
What commenters are saying
Commenters noted several existing cursive styles already avoid backtracking, pointing to Dutch and German school scripts (like Schulausgangsschrift) where 't' and other letters are single-stroke. One commenter wrote 'x' as two mirrored c's (common in French). Others discussed cursive shorthand systems (Melin, Gregg) as a further optimization. A few debated whether backtracking is actually a mental load or a learned habit. The thread was informative and collegial, with several fact-based corrections and historical references.