How to write オ (o) in katakana
オ (o) is a katakana vowel, and small versions of the vowels turn up in loanwords to make new sounds. Its shape keeps a part of the kanji 於 (“at”). It takes three short strokes: the first from the top left going rightwards, the last ending at the bottom left. Loanwords that begin with it: オケ (“orchestra”), オフ (“(switched) off”), オペ (“operation”) and オン (“(switched) on”).
- Romaji
- o
- Strokes
- 3
- From
- 於
- Hiragana
- お
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- top leftrightwards
- topdownwards
- topdown and left
Where オ comes from
- Katakana
- 於, a part of the kanji
- Hiragana
- お from 於
Here both scripts start from the same kanji, 於 (“at”).
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Words with オ
177 common JMdict katakana words with it; ten shown.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| オケ | oke | orchestra |
| オフ | ofu | (switched) off; off-season |
| オペ | ope | operation |
| オン | on | (switched) on; being on the green |
| オイル | oiru | oil; petroleum |
| オクラ | okura | okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) |
| オゾン | ozon | ozone |
| オタク | otaku | otaku; geek |
| オタワ | otawa | Ottawa (Canada) |
| オペラ | opera | opera |
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kana: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Katakana, in chart order: