How to write ほ (ho) in hiragana
ほ (ho) turns into ぼ (bo) and ぽ (po) with the voicing marks. It grew out of the cursive form of the kanji 保 (“protect”). Its four strokes begin at the top left, heading downwards then upwards, and the last one finishes at the bottom right. Words that start with it include 保護 (“protection”), 本部 (“headquarters”), 法案 (“bill (law)”) and 方向 (“direction”).
- Romaji
- ho
- Strokes
- 4
- From
- 保
- Katakana
- ホ
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- top leftdownwards → upwards
- toprightwards
- centerrightwards
- top rightdownwards → leftwards → down and right
Where ほ comes from
- Hiragana
- 保, cursive of the whole kanji
- Katakana
- ホ from 保
Here both scripts start from the same kanji, 保 (“protect”).
Look-alikes
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
With voicing marks
Base kana first, then the marks at the top right.
Words with ほ
555 common JMdict words with it; ten shown.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 保護 | ほご hogo | protection; safeguard |
| 本部 | ほんぶ honbu | headquarters; head office |
| 法案 | ほうあん houan | bill (law); measure |
| 方向 | ほうこう houkou | direction; orientation |
| 報告 | ほうこく houkoku | report; information |
| 方針 | ほうしん houshin | policy; course |
| 放送 | ほうそう housou | broadcasting; broadcast |
| 報道 | ほうどう houdou | report; reporting |
| 方法 | ほうほう houhou | method; way |
| 訪問 | ほうもん houmon | call; visit |
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kana: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Hiragana, in chart order: