読 — how to write the kanji for “read”

読 (“read”) is a JLPT N5 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. KANJIDIC2 gives it 3 on readings and 2 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit side by side: 言 (“say”, its radical), strokes 1–7; 売 (“sell”), strokes 8–14, each finished before the next. Read doku, it forms 読者 (“reader”), 読書 (“reading (books)”) and 積ん読 (“buying books and not reading…”); the native reading yo-mu gives 読み (“reading”) and 読売 (“Yomiuri (newspaper, etc. group)”).

Strokes: 14
JLPT: N5
Radical: 言 (“say”)
On: ドク, トク, トウ
Kun: -よ·み, よ·む

Stroke by stroke

Dot ㇔top leftdown and right
Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
Vertical ㇑bottom leftdownwards
Horizontal-turn ㇕bottom leftrightwards → downwards
Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
Vertical ㇑topdownwards
Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
Dot ㇔centerdownwards
Horizontal hook ㇖centerrightwards → down and left
Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdownwards
Vertical-curve-hook ㇟rightdownwards → rightwards

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Readings

On (Chinese-derived): ドク doku, トク toku, トウ tou
Kun (native): -よ·み -yo-mi, よ·む yo-mu (rare)
Meanings: read
Read doku: 読者読書積ん読朗読購読
Read yo-mu: 読み読売読む読み方秒読み
School year: second grade
Newspaper rank: 618th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
Korean hanja: 독 dok
Common words: 26 in JMdict

On and kun, explained

Words with 読

Word	Reading	Meaning
読者	どくしゃ dokusha	reader
読書	どくしょ dokusho	reading (books)
積ん読	つんどく tsundoku	buying books and not reading them; stockpiling books
読み	よみ yomi	reading; reading
読売	よみうり yomiuri	Yomiuri (newspaper, etc. group); kawaraban…
朗読	ろうどく roudoku	reading aloud; recitation
読む	よむ yomu	to read; to recite
購読	こうどく koudoku	buying and reading (book, magazine, etc.); subscribing…
読み方	よみかた yomikata	pronunciation; reading
秒読み	びょうよみ byouyomi	countdown

Most common first (JMdict).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Same parts:

JLPT N5, in list order: