L - UP AND DOWN

The normal direction for L is upwards, but there are some stroke combinations where stroke L is written downward, to make a clearer join.

Downwards after strokes N and Ing:
 

nail snail nil only unless

annual canal mainly unlike unlikely

wrongly strongly excitingly sparingly jokingly

Downwards after left curves N Ing F V Ith + Circle S. The circle becomes flattened:
 

nicely densely council businesslike fossil vessel

thistle noiseless noiselessly senseless faceless voiceless

Downwards for L-S-N, L-S-Ing and L-S-V:
 

lesson lacing licence listen

loosen looseness losing elusive

Exceptions, in order to join the last stroke:

enslave facility

Note: "unsold unsoiled" are given in Lesson 21 Distinguishing Outlines

L is written downwards in the following, to make a more compact outline:

column Calum calamity

film filming Fulham fulminate

volume voluminous vellum realm

Vowel Indication

As L can be written both upwards and downwards, this gives the opportunity to indicate the presence or absence of an initial or final vowel.

Initial L:

Downwards before horizontal strokes K G M N Ing, if there an initial vowel:

lack Alec, lacks/lax Alex, leg Olga
 

lame elm, laminate eliminate

long along, lino alone* align

Lenny* Alan, Lena Elena

* "Len, lone" are covered in Lesson 26 Final Hooks 1
 

But note Lasky Alaska because the second stroke does not follow on immediately, there is a Circle S in between.

Outlines consisting only of a stroke L are always written upward, and they retain it in derivatives:
 

lie lying, allow allowing allowance
 

ally alliance, ill illness

oil oiling oiliness

If the L is preceded by a circle or loop, then that S starts the word and not the vowel or the L, so those are always written with upward L as normal:
 

slack selling stillness stealing swelling

No outline ever starts with a circle/loop and downward L.

Final L:

After F V Ray Yay and SK, the L is written downwards if there is no final vowel, and upwards if there is a final vowel:

file fail fell full awful
 

follow fellow fully filo awfully

successful successfully, useful usefully

false falsely falsity Felicity, vole volley velocity

vale valley, avail value, vile viola

level lovely, rail rally

roll/role rely, yell yellow

These have downward Ell to continue the anticlockwise motion of the circle:

skill scale scaly

rascal rascally, fiscal fiscally

Derivatives keep the original direction of the L:
 

falling filing failing fouling availing levelling

railing rolling yelling scaling
 

followed valued yellowed falseness vileness

The following retain the original form but with a second upward L at a slightly shallower angle so that both can be shown:
 

foul foully, vile vilely, servile servilely

skill skill-less, scale scale-less

If the outline already has an upward L, another is added for

-ly, -less:

cool coolly, guile guileless

sole solely, whole/hole wholly compare holey holy
 

Phrases

they will, this will, for sale
 

SUMMARY

• L is normally an upstroke

• Downward after N, NS, to continue the motion

• Downward before L K G M to indicate an initial vowel

• Final L can be Up or Downward after certain strokes, to indicate the presence or absence of a final vowel

EXTRA VOCABULARY

Nile Nell Neil/kneel knoll Nelson

annul annals analyse analysis enlist

unlaced denial senile manly meanly

unlucky analogous calumny

lovingly longingly exceedingly

admiringly daringly puzzlingly kingly

nasal nestle tensely tensile

insole insolence counsel thusly Kingsley

voicelessly senselesslyAlison Lawson

adolescence unlicensed royal royally

facile fussily vassal Lovell Yale

egotistical fantastical artistical logistical
 

egotistically fantastically artistically logistically
 

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