different ways to write x

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You know those little things you don't think about until somebody breaks them down and puts them on the internet, and then you find yourself at odds with everybody who does that menial task different from you?

Well, here we are, again, in a debate that might overpower "gif/jif".

Twitter user @SMASEY decided to ruin everybody's lives by posting a chart of eight potential ways to draw an X :

The major consensus was that people for the most part draw the Xs down, or number 7 and 8 on the chart:

But then, we have some 5 and 6ers thrown into the mix as well:

And we are pretty seriously disturbed at thinking there are some serious psychopaths out there who might be #1 or #2.

The feeling of being super uncomfortable when one draws an X differently than you're used to doing harkens back to a feeling from Spring 2018, when the internet was incredibly confused about whether they were hearing the words "Laurel" or "Yanny" .

Similarly, the phenomenon of the blue and black/ white and gold dress created a similar issue:

What makes these particular things so special is that regardless, the result ends up being the same. It is the same picture of a dress, it is the same soundbyte, and regardless which method you choose of the eight, it will always end up being an x, but humans are weirdly obsessive over things like this.

Which way do you draw an "X"?

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Education resources for parents and teachers

PS PK K 1 2 3 8 Comments

Learning to write the letter X

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My Three and Four are learning to write the letter X: today we found 13 different ways to make the letter!

The letter X is a simple letter to make with manipulatives because you just need two straight pieces.  My just-turned-Three made an X in a number of different ways:

with rulers…

with chopsticks…

with flatware…

and with Q-tips.

He had fun using office stickers to complete this Letter X Dot Sticker Page. Get your copy here .

Then my Four got busy.  He made an X with paintbrushes…

pipe cleaners…

and craft sticks.

This would have been too challenging for my Three, but my Four enjoyed putting together this foam puzzle to make the letter X.

Again, too hard for my Three, but just right for my Four — using rocks to make the letter X.

I call these handwriting pages “Letters of All Sizes.”  My Three starts at the red dot and draws lines inside the shapes. He can’t do traditional handwriting pages yet, so these are a good first step.  X was tricky for him – you can see he burned out before the end of the page. No problem!  He’s got plenty of time to learn to write. 🙂   Get your copy here .

My Four started with this page: tracing X’s on two lines.  Want your copy?   Get it here .

These are the most challenging handwriting pages I’ve created thus far.  They allow lots of guidance on the first few lines until the final line – when kids are given just a starting point.   You can find it here .

Alphabet Curriculum for Preschool

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Reader Interactions

October 13, 2015 at 5:48 pm

Love your site! Great ideas! I teach preschool ages3-4. Another idea for letter X would be to give the students/child a bunch of popsicle or craft sticks. Not only can they form the letter X see what other letters or shapes they can make with them. There’s a book “Six Sticks” we’ve read & then give each child 6 sticks & see if they can make things that were in the story.

Anna Geiger

October 17, 2015 at 4:32 pm

Thanks for another idea, Dee! I just reserved “Six Sticks” at the library. 🙂

June 14, 2013 at 9:17 am

Great ideas!! Thank you for sharing on Sharing Saturday!!

Katie @ Gift of Curiosity

June 7, 2013 at 9:49 pm

So many great ways to make an X!

June 8, 2013 at 7:45 pm

Gotta love those easy letters!

Bethany @ No Twiddle Twaddle

May 31, 2013 at 8:31 pm

What great ideas. I really love the xylophone printout!

May 31, 2013 at 9:03 pm

Thanks, Bethany! I’m really happy with out that one turned out too – it’s always tricky to create something from free clip art, especially as I can’t draw to save my life!

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Fancy Letters (𝓬𝓸𝓹𝔂 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝕡𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖)

Fancy letters.

• Fancy A in different fonts: 𝐚𝐀 𝒂𝑨 𝚊𝙰 𝗮𝗔 𝓪𝓐 𝙖𝘼 𝘢𝘈 ᴀᴀ 𝕒𝔸 𝖆𝕬
• Fancy B in different fonts: 𝐛𝐁 𝒃𝑩 𝚋𝙱 𝗯𝗕 𝓫𝓑 𝙗𝘽 𝘣𝘉 ʙʙ 𝕓𝔹 𝖇𝕭
• Fancy C in different fonts: 𝐜𝐂 𝒄𝑪 𝚌𝙲 𝗰𝗖 𝓬𝓒 𝙘𝘾 𝘤𝘊 ᴄᴄ 𝕔ℂ 𝖈𝕮
• Fancy D in different fonts: 𝐝𝐃 𝒅𝑫 𝚍𝙳 𝗱𝗗 𝓭𝓓 𝙙𝘿 𝘥𝘋 ᴅᴅ 𝕕𝔻 𝖉𝕯
• Fancy E in different fonts: 𝐞𝐄 𝒆𝑬 𝚎𝙴 𝗲𝗘 𝓮𝓔 𝙚𝙀 𝘦𝘌 ᴇᴇ 𝕖𝔼 𝖊𝕰
• Fancy F in different fonts: 𝐟𝐅 𝒇𝑭 𝚏𝙵 𝗳𝗙 𝓯𝓕 𝙛𝙁 𝘧𝘍 ғғ 𝕗𝔽 𝖋𝕱
• Fancy G in different fonts: 𝐠𝐆 𝒈𝑮 𝚐𝙶 𝗴𝗚 𝓰𝓖 𝙜𝙂 𝘨𝘎 ɢɢ 𝕘𝔾 𝖌𝕲
• Fancy H in different fonts: 𝐡𝐇 𝒉𝑯 𝚑𝙷 𝗵𝗛 𝓱𝓗 𝙝𝙃 𝘩𝘏 ʜʜ 𝕙ℍ 𝖍𝕳
• Fancy I in different fonts: 𝐢𝐈 𝒊𝑰 𝚒𝙸 𝗶𝗜 𝓲𝓘 𝙞𝙄 𝘪𝘐 ɪɪ 𝕚𝕀 𝖎𝕴
• Fancy J in different fonts: 𝐣𝐉 𝒋𝑱 𝚓𝙹 𝗷𝗝 𝓳𝓙 𝙟𝙅 𝘫𝘑 ᴊᴊ 𝕛𝕁 𝖏𝕵
• Fancy K in different fonts: 𝐤𝐊 𝒌𝑲 𝚔𝙺 𝗸𝗞 𝓴𝓚 𝙠𝙆 𝘬𝘒 ᴋᴋ 𝕜𝕂 𝖐𝕶
• Fancy L in different fonts: 𝐥𝐋 𝒍𝑳 𝚕𝙻 𝗹𝗟 𝓵𝓛 𝙡𝙇 𝘭𝘓 ʟʟ 𝕝𝕃 𝖑𝕷
• Fancy M in different fonts: 𝐦𝐌 𝒎𝑴 𝚖𝙼 𝗺𝗠 𝓶𝓜 𝙢𝙈 𝘮𝘔 ᴍᴍ 𝕞𝕄 𝖒𝕸
• Fancy N in different fonts: 𝐧𝐍 𝒏𝑵 𝚗𝙽 𝗻𝗡 𝓷𝓝 𝙣𝙉 𝘯𝘕 ɴɴ 𝕟ℕ 𝖓𝕹
• Fancy O in different fonts: 𝐨𝐎 𝒐𝑶 𝚘𝙾 𝗼𝗢 𝓸𝓞 𝙤𝙊 𝘰𝘖 ᴏᴏ 𝕠𝕆 𝖔𝕺
• Fancy P in different fonts: 𝐩𝐏 𝒑𝑷 𝚙𝙿 𝗽𝗣 𝓹𝓟 𝙥𝙋 𝘱𝘗 ᴘᴘ 𝕡ℙ 𝖕𝕻
• Fancy Q in different fonts: 𝐪𝐐 𝒒𝑸 𝚚𝚀 𝗾𝗤 𝓺𝓠 𝙦𝙌 𝘲𝘘 ǫǫ 𝕢ℚ 𝖖𝕼
• Fancy R in different fonts: 𝐫𝐑 𝒓𝑹 𝚛𝚁 𝗿𝗥 𝓻𝓡 𝙧𝙍 𝘳𝘙 ʀʀ 𝕣ℝ 𝖗𝕽
• Fancy S in different fonts: 𝐬𝐒 𝒔𝑺 𝚜𝚂 𝘀𝗦 𝓼𝓢 𝙨𝙎 𝘴𝘚 ss 𝕤𝕊 𝖘𝕾
• Fancy T in different fonts: 𝐭𝐓 𝒕𝑻 𝚝𝚃 𝘁𝗧 𝓽𝓣 𝙩𝙏 𝘵𝘛 ᴛᴛ 𝕥𝕋 𝖙𝕿
• Fancy U in different fonts: 𝐮𝐔 𝒖𝑼 𝚞𝚄 𝘂𝗨 𝓾𝓤 𝙪𝙐 𝘶𝘜 ᴜᴜ 𝕦𝕌 𝖚𝖀
• Fancy V in different fonts: 𝐯𝐕 𝒗𝑽 𝚟𝚅 𝘃𝗩 𝓿𝓥 𝙫𝙑 𝘷𝘝 ᴠᴠ 𝕧𝕍 𝖛𝖁
• Fancy W in different fonts: 𝐰𝐖 𝒘𝑾 𝚠𝚆 𝘄𝗪 𝔀𝓦 𝙬𝙒 𝘸𝘞 ᴡᴡ 𝕨𝕎 𝖜𝖂
• Fancy X in different fonts: 𝐱𝐗 𝒙𝑿 𝚡𝚇 𝘅𝗫 𝔁𝓧 𝙭𝙓 𝘹𝘟 xx 𝕩𝕏 𝖝𝖃
• Fancy Y in different fonts: 𝐲𝐘 𝒚𝒀 𝚢𝚈 𝘆𝗬 𝔂𝓨 𝙮𝙔 𝘺𝘠 ʏʏ 𝕪𝕐 𝖞𝖄
• Fancy Z in different fonts: 𝐳𝐙 𝒛𝒁 𝚣𝚉 𝘇𝗭 𝔃𝓩 𝙯𝙕 𝘻𝘡 ᴢᴢ 𝕫ℤ 𝖟𝖅

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How do you write an x? The internet is divided and no one can agree

22 January 2019, 17:26

By Nicky Idika

People are debating how to draw the letter 'x' and it's surprisingly controversial.

There are some things you just do without thinking. For instance, the way you draw the letter 'x' was probably something you learned as a kid, so you don't put too much thought into your technique, right? After one Twitter user posted a chart of all the different ways to draw the letter 'x', the internet is officially overthinking how they've been writing the letter.

@SMASEY asked Twitter one simple question: which way do you draw an X?

Also this is so interesting to me - which way do you draw an X? Colored line being the first stroke pic.twitter.com/a0WTl8WT7P — sixers smasey (@SMASEY) January 20, 2019

They shared a colourful chart which included the various ways one might draw an x. Needless to say, people quickly declared their allegiances. However, not everyone agreed on the "correct" way to write the letter 'x'.

People provided very compelling reasoning for why their way was the proper way.

8. People who draw bottom to top are also the ones that put their toilet paper on the holder the wrong way. — Eddie (@NinjaJenssen) January 20, 2019

Good serial killer test. Anyone who does the 2nd should be immediately arrested https://t.co/tjhj5K4y7I — Ahmad (@ahmadf_o) January 21, 2019

5️⃣ Why would I finish opposite to where my pen needs to go next? https://t.co/FRFdAmnBYy — Steve Curtis (@curtisteve) January 20, 2019

Most folks had strong feelings about 7.

pic.twitter.com/Obju5ZvJaJ — MBF (@goheels83) January 20, 2019

I feel like if you're not 7 you're fucking weird https://t.co/X83PsrW2II — Gladd (@xGladdOnTwitch) January 21, 2019

And people threw in new and innovative ways to draw the letter 'x'

This is how you draw an X. pic.twitter.com/m1u61LBS1q — Neorice University (@Neoriceisgood) January 20, 2019

To be honest, the whole debate was making people rethink everything.

Saw this. Immediately forgot how I have been drawing x's my entire lift. Had to write each one down. None felt right. Taking all words with x's out of my vocabulary until further notice. — Kelsey Campbell (@KCampbellyeg) January 21, 2019

Thinking that a friend or family member might be a 3 is quite frankly SCARY.

Sometimes I'm like "it's so beautiful to see diversity of lives!" And then sometimes I learn how other people write the letter x and I want to vomit https://t.co/t8W0AINfNa — Panda T. Bear (@WarehousePanda) January 20, 2019

Judging by people's answers, 7 and 8 seem to be quite popular. 5 and 6 are also techniques that people admitted to using. Folks were skeptical about many of the others but we know for a FACT that people who use 1-4 walk among us–hidden in plain sight.

What do you guys think? How do you write the letter 'x'?

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Putting the X in text: warm wishes or a  kiss-off ?

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Do you sign off texts and emails with an x? Have you ever thought what that x – shorthand for a kiss – means to you or the person who has sent it to you? It’s said that the liberal use of x in electronic correspondence, whether personal or professional, is feminising the workplace – and Labour MP Jess Phillips was told off for being unprofessional by a judge a couple of years ago for signing off an email to a constituent with an x. So how did we arrive at a situation where everybody gets one at the end of nearly every sentence we type?

Part of our answer is really simple – the x in correspondence conveys a special kind of empathy for the recipient. In a world where uppercase letters read like SHOUTING and where emojis are ambiguous, every element of a text message is easily misunderstood. The x serves as a catch-all device, telling your reader that all is well in your relationship.

The ubiquitous x can be applied to friendship, romantic, or even professional relationships when messaging. It is so versatile, revealing interest, affection and a general kind of togetherness which, if face to face, would be equivalent to some kind of non-verbal body language – a head tilt, or a sympathetic nod to show agreement and understanding. The x shows that you are in this together and that you seek to continue the conversation in a spirit of mutual and even jovial appreciation.

However, this still doesn’t fully explain why it is an x that has come to wield such power, or why it feels so essential to include one. After all, it could be – and sometimes is – a different symbol: an emoji perhaps, or a simple smiley face like this: :). Nor does it tell us about the journey taken by the x in becoming this multifaceted symbol.

Making your mark

History tells us that the x has a long pedigree. In the middle ages, handwritten letters would end with an + to signify the Christian symbol of Christ. With most people being illiterate, a cross was deemed to be sufficiently accessible to verify identity. What’s more, there is evidence of such rituals of signing documentation to be accompanied by a physical kiss being given to the paper, as one might kiss a cross if of certain religious persuasions.

But, this still leaves a big gap between then and now. What happened at the beginnings of the digital revolution that explains this progressive encroachment into all of our correspondence, turning every message into its own letter? Equally, why did the x remain, while other elements of letter writing disappeared, such as writing: “Dear [name]”, or “from [name]” at the start and end of correspondence. We nearly never do this now when sending texts, because messaging has become an endless letter, a conversation that is always left open, to be picked up again at a later stage. It isn’t difficult to imagine that the cross at the end of letters evolved into the x just as words like “goodbye”, evolved out of “God be with you”.

Kissing culture

Yet, for today’s generation, the connection behind the x is likely to be completely lost – it is simply some kind of kiss and, just like a cross, using it could land you in big trouble. After all, the kiss is remarkably culturally specific and an x can mean something very different – or nothing at all in a different language. For instance, in Spanish, x is short for “por”, meaning “for”. Equally, a kiss in one culture means something different in another and, in some cultures, there is no kissing at all . There is also a gendered politics to a kiss, which can make it a highly risky undertaking to send, especially in professional settings.

At the same time, the x can be a way of allowing somebody to express themselves physically without the pressure of actually having to touch somebody. Indeed, this is one of the web’s most amazing features; it can liberate us from the constraints of social conventions and provide a space for relating to others differently – a perspective that researchers have outlined since its inception.

There may be many people who sign off with an x who would not think of kissing the person when face to face, but feel comfortable expressing such affection through a symbol. At a time when the world wide web’s inventor, Sir Tim Berners Lee, has called for more love online , this is surely a good thing.

So, while seemingly one of the most uncomplicated things we do when messaging, the x in texts has far wider implications than perhaps we first thought. A good rule may be to only send an x to people who would be comfortable with you kissing them face to face. Would you actually kiss that person, if they were in front of you? If not, then perhaps drop the x.

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X Letter Symbols

• Cool Letters

Copy and Paste Letter X Symbols

Letter x symbols are copy and paste text symbols that can be used in any desktop, web, or mobile applications. this table explains the meaning of every letter x symbol. just click on the symbol to get more information such as letter x symbol unicode, download letter x emoji as a png image at different sizes, or copy letter x symbol to clipboard then paste into your favorite application.

How to type x symbol on any mobile or app?

• Select one or more x symbols (ⓧ ⒳ ✖ ✗ ✘ ) using the x text symbol keyboard of this page.
• Copy the selected x symbols by clicking the editor green copy button or CTRL+C.
• Paste selected x text symbols to your application by tapping paste or CTRL+V.
• This technique is general and can be used to add or insert x symbols on any device, app, or online game.

Different Ways to Write the Letter A

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Learning to Write: Zaner Bloser versus D'Nealian Style

There are many different styles of writing letters, two of which are the Zaner Bloser and D'Nealian style. What separates one writing style from the other is slant and shape.

Zaner Bloser is written is a straight fashion in print writing and in a slanted fashion in cursive. On the other hand, D'Nealian style is written in a slanted fashion in both print and cursive. 

Further, D'Nealian print letters are written with tails, making it easier to transition to cursive. Whether or not D'Nealian handwriting actually helps kids transition to cursive with more ease is still up for debate. Print letters written in the Zaner Bloser style do not emphasize tails on letters, which gives Zaner Bloser print and cursive distinct looks.

This article provides 5 different printable pages each for the 2 styles of writing. The first 5 are Zaner Bloser style, the next 5 are D'Nealian style.

Your kids can practice tracing and writing letters on these printouts to achieve legible handwriting at an early age.

Zaner Bloser Style: Letter A, Cover Page

First, print the cover page. You can add the following pages and bind together if you wish to make a booklet. On this page, your kids will write the letters and color in the pictures. 

Zaner Bloser Style: Letter A, Page 2

On this page, your kids will repeatedly practice writing the letter A. They have many opportunities to trace the letters for guidance.

Zaner Bloser Style: Letter A, Page 3

This third page is a bit more challenging. There are less opportunities to trace the letter A. Your kids will now have to practice writing freestyle.

Zaner Bloser Style: Letter A, Page 4

Moving beyond letters, your kids will practice writing words that start with the letter A on this page. There are also pictures on this page that they can color in.

Zaner Bloser Style: Letter A, Page 5

This page offers your kids a lot of space for creativity. They will write out a sentence, once with the trace patterns and once without, then draw a picture in the space.

D'Nealian Style: Letter A, Page 1

On this cover page, your kids write the letters in D'Nealian style and color the pictures. 

D'Nealian Style: Letter A, Page 2

On this second page, your kids will practice writing the letter A with the help of tracing patterns.

D'nealian Style: Letter A, Page 3

On this third page, your kids will practice writing the letters without tracing.

D'nealian Style: Letter A, Page 4

Have your kids practice writing the letter A by writing out words that start with the letter A. There are also pictures to color in.

D'nealian Style: Letter A, Page 5

On this last page, have your kids write a sentence that heavily involves the letter A and draw a picture in the space.

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How do YOU write an X? Diagram sparks mass debate on the correct place to start the letter - and reveals surprising differences between Brits and Americans

• Philadelphia artist Sixers Smasey illustrated eight ways to draw the letter X 
• The controversial picture showed the eight very different ways to draw an X 
• Differences include the order of each stroke and the direction it goes in 
• The user explained most Americans follow style 7 and 8 , while Brits use 5 and 6

By Jessica Rach For Mailonline and Carly Stern For Dailymail.com

Published: 12:40 EST, 21 January 2019 | Updated: 14:54 EST, 21 January 2019

View comments

A mass debate on the correct way to draw an 'X' erupted on Twitter over the weekend after a diagram demonstrating the eight different methods of writing the letter was posted online. 

Philadelphia artist Sixers Smasey drew the graphic, which includes illustrations of eight different ways a person could conceivably draw the two crisscrossing lines that make up the letter X, with arrows and colors distinguishing the order and direction of each method. 

While sharing the diagram on her Twitter account, the creator asked her followers which method they preferred - and the seemingly-simple question immediately threw people for a loop, with English speakers insisting vehemently there is only one correct way to draw the letter in question.   

Unfortunately, they don't seem able to agree on which way that is.

Which way? A viral graphic shows eight different ways to draw the letter X

Here it goes... The image was shared by Philadelphia artist Sixers Smasey, who asked others how they drew the letter

Sixers wrote: '...This is so interesting to me - which way do you draw an X? Colored line being the first stroke.'

Each of the eight methods includes numbers, showing which stroke comes first and which comes second. 

It also shows the direction each line is drawn, from top to bottom or bottom top top.

In just a couple of days, her tweet took off, with other Twitter users proclaiming the 'correct' way to draw an X in the comments.

The problem is, there isn't unanimous agreement over which is correct — not even close.

'8. is the only correct way,' wrote one, while another wrote, '7 is the only way.' 

The sketches on the diagram show that users who stick to methods one and two start from the bottom and draw both strokes upwards. 

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Hmmm... Sixers, the woman who posted it, seemed to find some consensus in the comments 

Why way? The image has set off some serious debate on Twitter

Rude! Many people are saying that those who don't do the same way they do are messed up

Popular: Method number eight is definitely one of the more popular ways

If he says so... Number seven is also quite popular and a favorite of Stephen Fry

No! Some of the ways, like number four, stressed people out

Popular: After trying the challenge for themselves, the majority of users appeared to follow diagrams five, six, seven and eight, in the lively thread

Meanwhile both brushstrokes in sketches seven and eight begin from the top downwards, while numbers five and six switch directions after the first stroke. 

Options three and four both require an up and a down stroke. 

After the diagram caused a serious furor on social media, Sixers later revealed that she had noticed a geographical trend in responses, with Americans typically gravitating towards methods seven and eight, while numbers five and six are believed to be more typical of Brits.

'General consensus is that Americans do 7 and 8 while UK does 5 and 6,' the artist explained, adding that the trend was probably because of how people were taught to write in their respective countries.  

However, Sixers pointing out a trend in the responses didn't stop people from continuing to share their own preferred method - and their thoughts on why it was the 'correct' option.  

Author and actor Stephen Fry piped up to say that he's a seven, going against the American versus British trend that Sixers had pointed out.

The Good Place writer Megan Amram said she does #6, but she's 'also a proven stupid idiot'. 

Although there was fierce debate over which method was the best way to go about writing an X, the majority of users appeared to follow diagrams five, six, seven and eight.

Nuts: The Good Place producer and writer Megan Amram does it one of the less popular ways

Too weird: David Hayter things number six is just 'insanity'

Fighting talk: One user wrote on the lively thread, 'People who draw bottom to top are also the ones that put their toilet paper on the holder the wrong way'

Wait, what do I do? The question had some people second guessing how they write

Wait which one? Many people shared gifs and memes indicating that they were totally unable to decide what their preferred method actually is

Many argued that the style of drawing an X was down to whether users were left or right-handed, while others claimed it was down to what you were taught at school. 

'I'm right handed. Much more natural to start the x in top right corner,' one follower wrote.

Questioning the theory that Americans tended to stick to methods seven or eight, one added: 'I’m American and I was taught number five'.

Another said of drawing the brushstroke facing downwards: '8 is finishing in the right direction.' 

And many followers questioned users followed diagrams one and two, which start with both brushstrokes at the bottom. 

Quite a few people also took the time to insult anyone who does it any way different from their own.

'Anyone doing anything other than a 7 is a maniac,' wrote one. 

Whacko: The debate inspired one person to show the absolute craziest way a person could draw an X

Quirky: One user added his own option to the viral thread and admitted he had a very unusual way of drawing the letter

Something different: A few shared their own special techniques for writing the letter X 

'People who draw bottom to top are also the ones that put their toilet paper on the holder the wrong way,' wrote another.  

'Exactly, any other way is madness. Whoever does one or two truly terrifies me, it's like starting an S from the bottom!' a user agreed.

But another argued: 'That's not the biggest problem here, eight is writing from right to left. How many letters start from the right?' 

In a further twist other baffled users admitted the exercise had left them totally confused as to how they actually draw the letter. 

'Saw this. Immediately forgot how I have been drawing x's my entire lift. Had to write each one down. None felt right. Taking all words with x's out of my vocabulary until further notice,' one troubled user wrote.

Another said: 'I had to get up and write it several times to confirm.'

• sixers smasey (@SMASEY) on Twitter

Share or comment on this article: How do YOU write your X? Diagram sparks mass debate on the correct place to start the letter

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'Correct' way to draw the letter X - and what it says about your personality

Handwriting analyst Kathi McKnight has revealed what the way in which you writer the letter X says about you

• 11:28, 29 Jun 2020

We learn how to write when we're at primary school, but as we grow older we develop our own style rather than sticking to the strict cursive that our teachers taught us.

But it turns out that the way in which we form letters actually says a lot about your personality - especially the letter X.

In school we're taught to draw the letter X from the top left hand side moving diagonally down to the right, and then from the top right to the bottom left.

Handwriting analyst Kathi McKnight for Oprah magazine, considers this the "right" way to draw the letter X and explains that the way in which you draw the two diagonal lines reflects who you are as a person.

For reference, the colour line in the graphic represents the first stroke and the black line is the second.

1. Stuck in the past

Kathi says that if you draw your X with two reverse strokes then you’re stuck in the past.

And whilst you may want to move forwards, you often find that you can’t.

2. You're running from something

If both lines are drawn moving forwards – but start in reverse – from the bottom left, then bottom right then you want to escape your past.

Similarly to number 1, you have a strong desire to move out of your past, but it still has its grip on you.

3. You like to rebel

If you draw an X using reversed strokes, starting from the top right, then you’re a bit of a rebel.

Rather than fitting in with the crowd, you prefer to stand out, and actually enjoy not conforming.

Yet, there’s no particular reason why you tend to stray from the norms.

4. Focused on the future

Kathi says that this method, drawing the second stroke normally – top right to bottom left - means you try to focus on the future.

However, a part of you is inclined to move backwards.

She compares this to driving whilst only looking through the rearview mirror.

5. Live by your own rules

Kathi says that if you draw the first half of the letter "correctly" - from top right to bottom left - but the second stroke drawn from bottom left to top right in reverse you're very independent.

She also said that you like to live by your own rule book.

6. Trendsetter

Those who draw their X from the bottom left and out of order set the tone for others.

You're a trendsetter, and you own it.

7. You like order

The most common way to draw an X is with the first stroke starting at the top left hand side of the page, moving diagonally to the bottom right - this is the way you were most likely taught in school.

But not only does Kathi say this is the norm, but the "right" and "balanced" way.

She explained that when writing we move from left to right, and when we start writing a letter we start at the left and move to the right, so anything other than this is considered rebellious.

Therefore it suggests that you like sticking to the norm and value order.

8. Think outside the box

This option is incredibly similar to number seven, but instead of starting at the top left you start from the top right.

Kathi says this means you're creative, and that you like to think outside of the box.

How do you draw the letter X? Did Kathi hit the nail on the head?

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• Entertainment |

Twitter is divided over how to write a simple ‘X’

There are eight different ways to write it.

Every now and then something seems to grab social media users, think of that infamous dress (and the shoe ), Yanny or Laurel , and now the 'X'?! That's right, over the weekend, Twitter has been debating over how to write an 'X', because apparently there are a massive eight ways to write it!

The unusual debate was posted on Twitter yesterday by an American user saying, 'Also this is so interesting to me - which way do you draw an X? Colored line being the first stroke', [sic] sparking a huge debate online, with a massive 18K people responding to the tweet and nearly 40K people liking it. Who'd have thought such a simple question would attract so much interest?

Reading through some of the replies it seems that many users were oblivious to there being 'other' ways to right an 'X', one person tweeted, '7 is the only way', with another saying, 'Depending on if you’re right or left handed it should be 7 or 8. What kind of sick person draws an X any other way'. [sic]

The Twitter user who originally started the debate followed up her original tweet with another saying, 'General consensus is that Americans do 7 & 8 while UK does 5 & 6. Probably how we were taught. Not sure about other countries'. [sic]

So... how do you write an 'X'?

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How You Draw an "X" Reveals a Lot About Your Personality

Are you a rebel, or do you prefer balance?

More divisive than the Oscar nominations, the most hotly contested thing on the internet right now isn't whether or not Bradley Cooper got snubbed for Best Director. It's this important question: How do you draw an X?

When we asked our own Instagram followers how they depict the letter, most shared that they write like #7. But many of you wanted to know: What does that mean ? So we asked certified master handwriting analyst Kathi McKnight —who has analyzed the signatures of everyone from Oprah to President Barack Obama—to break down what your X-writing style says about your personality.

More From Oprah Daily

And, it turns out, a lot of you have a rebellious streak.

If you were one of the many folks to share that you're a #7—which means you draw your X's by starting a stroke on the top left of the page, moving the pen to the bottom right—McKnight says you're not only in the norm, but also writing your X's the "right" way.

In the English language, she explains, this is considered the "balanced" way to move your pen. "Think about it: We move from left to right across the page when writing—left margin to right margin. We start a cursive letter from left, and proceed to the right. In printing, we start at the top and stroke down," she says.

Anything else would be considered a "regressive stroke," which, according to handwriting analysis, reveals "rebelliousness, going back into the past, and negative self-talk," McKnight explains.

Of course, because we're dealing with computer-generated fonts and not actual penmanship, it's a bit of a stretch to call this "handwriting analysis" since pressure, slant, and size are the key factors in determining personality. Still, McKnight says, the same principles can be applied here when simply just considering how you would draw an X.

So without further ado, here's what your X-choice says about you:

If you draw your X with two reverse strokes, starting from the lower right, it indicates that while you may want to move forward, you have both feet stuck in the past.

If you draw both lines moving forward, yet starting in reverse—from bottom left, then the bottom right—you are a renegade. You have a strong desire to slingshot yourself out of your past and move forward, yet the past still has its grips on you.

The reversed strokes—starting top right—demonstrate that you're a rebel without a cause.

Because only your second stroke is drawn the "normal" way—top right to bottom left— it implies that while you're trying to focus on the future, a part of you is still tempted to go backwards, as if you're driving while looking only through the rearview mirror.

The first half of this X—drawn from top right to bottom left—is made "correctly," but the 2nd—drawn from bottom left to top right—is written in reverse direction, revealing that you're a maverick. It feels good to live by your own rules, doesn't it?

Because you start your stroke from bottom left, and out of order, you're a trendsetter—and you own it.

This is how you were likely taught in school to write your letters, going from left to right. That indicates that you don't tend to stray from the norm—and you like order and balance.

Like most of these choices (besides #7), if you start from the top right, you prefer to think outside of the box.

Alright, so maybe this isn't quite the same insightful window into your soul as, say, years in therapy , or perhaps even a zodiac reading . But if you were as captivated by those eight colorful X's as we were, hopefully now that you know the "correct" way to write an X, you'll have the final word in this great debate—and a little bit more insight into what something as small as a letter of the alphabet reveals about you.

Brie Schwartz is an editor, writer, and content strategist. She’s covered beauty, fashion, relationships, health, travel, Disney, decorating, DIYs, food, booze, and everything in between. She was most recently the deputy editor of Oprah Daily, where she helped bring the mission of guiding readers to live their best life to the (virtual) pages. Her writing has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Delish, Country Living, Esquire, Elle, Marie Claire, Seventeen, The Spruce, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, and Men’s Health. 

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• Mathematics

How to Differentiate the Square Root of X

Last Updated: July 11, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by David Jia . David Jia is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of LA Math Tutoring, a private tutoring company based in Los Angeles, California. With over 10 years of teaching experience, David works with students of all ages and grades in various subjects, as well as college admissions counseling and test preparation for the SAT, ACT, ISEE, and more. After attaining a perfect 800 math score and a 690 English score on the SAT, David was awarded the Dickinson Scholarship from the University of Miami, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Additionally, David has worked as an instructor for online videos for textbook companies such as Larson Texts, Big Ideas Learning, and Big Ideas Math. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 321,833 times.

Using the Power Rule

• Remember that square roots are the opposite of squaring because roots and exponents are opposites. For example, the four squared is 16. Therefore, the square root of 16 is four.
• So, if you are trying to get the square root of some number, see if the number is a perfect square. For example, if you have to find the square root of 81. Think whether you can multiply a number by itself to get 81. You know that nine times nine is 81. So nine squared is 81. That means the square root of 81 is nine.
• There are so many numbers that you could be guessing with this method. You can try out seven and eight. If it is too small, you can go up to nine. If you try out 10, 10 squared is 100. That is too large. You might have to go smaller.

Using the Chain Rule for Square Root Functions

Using a Shortcut for Derivatives of Radical Functions

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• ↑ https://www.mathsisfun.com/calculus/derivatives-rules.html
• ↑ https://openstax.org/books/calculus-volume-1/pages/3-3-differentiation-rules
• ↑ https://www.math.ucdavis.edu/~kouba/CalcOneDIRECTORY/chainruledirectory/ChainRule.html
• ↑ https://www.math.ucdavis.edu/~kouba/CalcOneDIRECTORY/chainrulesoldirectory/ChainRuleSol.html

About This Article

To differentiate the square root of x using the power rule, rewrite the square root as an exponent, or raise x to the power of 1/2. Find the derivative with the power rule, which says that the inverse function of x is equal to 1/2 times x to the power of a-1, where a is the original exponent. In this case, a is 1/2, so a-1 would equal -1/2. Simplify the result. To use the chain rule to differentiate the square root of x, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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