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HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE

ろ (ro) in hiragana

Ro in hiragana is ろ: one stroke that ends with no loop, open at the lower left, unlike る.

Reading
ro
Type
ro
Katakana
ロ
Strokes
1
Audio
see listening section
On this page

How ろ is written, and why it is not る.

The full model: one stroke.

start end

Not to be confused with
る · ruIts stroke ends in a small loop at the bottom.

Memory hook: Picture a road that bends sharply at the top and swings around to the right, with no loop at the end. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics

More hiragana activities

WRITE IT

How to write ろ: stroke order

Is ろ one stroke, even with its sharp turns? Yes, one. Pause for a moment at each sharp turn, then change direction without lifting the pen.

Shape: Taller than wide: a short top line and a long diagonal, like a 7, over a wide curve that bulges out to the right and is open at the lower left.

In this model, the stroke sweeps. Japanese schools name three kinds of ending: Stop とめ, Hook はね, Sweep はらい. Textbooks and teachers differ on some.

  1. One strokeSweep はらい

    One continuous stroke. Starts left of the vertical center line, near the top. A short line rising gently to the right, across the center line; turn back sharply into a long, straight diagonal down to the left, ending below the horizontal center line, further left than the start. Turn sharply again, going back up the diagonal a little, and swing up to the right into a wide curve that bulges out far to the right; come down and sweep away to the lower left, ending near the bottom, just left of the vertical center line.

One mistake to avoid: stroke 1

Watch for
The diagonal is too short, so the second turn comes well above the middle and the curve starts too high.
Fix
Take the diagonal down past the horizontal center line, further left than where you began, then turn, as in the model.
Practice writingMake a writing sheetSee it on the stroke-order chart

Stroke diagrams adapted from KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.

READ IT

Read ろ in print and in words.

ろ in handwriting and three typefaces

  • Handwriting model
  • Textbook style
  • Print, plain (gothic)
  • Print, serif (mincho)

In every typeface ろ ends with no loop, open at the lower left. Copy the handwriting model.

Find ろ inside a word.

  • shirowhiteUp to the R row
  • rokusixUp to the R row
  • ofurobathUp to the R row
  • yoroshikupleased to meet youSaid after you give your name, to end an introduction that begins with はじめまして (hajimemashite); the full, polite form is よろしく おねがいします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu).Up to the R row

“Up to the R row” marks a word written only with kana from the vowels to the R row of the chart, so you can read it if you learn the chart in order.

The spaces in this page’s sentences only help you read; ordinary Japanese has none.

よろしく is usually written in hiragana; in everyday writing しろ is 白, ろく 六 (or 6) and おふろ お風呂. The others are in hiragana here for reading practice.

Read more words with ろ

TELL THEM APART

ろ or る?

ろ · roThe stroke ends with no loop, sweeping away to the lower left.
る · ruIts stroke ends in a small loop at the bottom.

Look at where the stroke ends: ろ sweeps away to the lower left with no loop; る curls into a small loop at the bottom. Before that, both make the same zigzag: a short line, a sharp turn and a long diagonal.

Open the guide for ru (る)

A quick check

Four models, handwritten and printed: is each one ろ or る? Only your first answer to each model counts.

SOUND AND SPELLING

The r of ろ, and how to type it.

Sound: ろ is ro: the same light tap for r as in ら, then o; the guide for ら explains the tap.

Typing: Type ro for ろ; lo gives a small ぉ instead.

The Japanese r, on the guide for ら (ra)

YOUR NEXT STEP

Practice ろ with る.

A short round of ろ and る, the shapes this page compares.

Practice ろ and るFlip them as flash cards

Practice the whole R row: ら り る れ ろIt includes ら, り and れ, which this page does not teach.

Learn ろ with its group in lesson 9 · Try it on the hiragana keyboard

Sources, artwork and review status

Teaching content on this page is a draft: a Japanese educator has not reviewed it yet. Generated pronunciation audio is available in the listening section.

Stroke models and drawings: KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. License and attribution.

Two typefaces are served from this site: Klee One and Noto Serif JP (SIL Open Font License). The gothic sample uses this device’s own font.

Draft teaching content · Japanese educator review pending · Approved generated audio is available in the listening section; romaji is a reading aid, not a pronunciation guide.

minimachi · HIRAGANA CHARACTER CARD

ろ · ro

Ro in hiragana is ろ: one stroke that ends with no loop, open at the lower left, unlike る.

Writing model

Write it, stroke by stroke.

  1. Starts left, near the top; across, long diagonal, wide curve, sweeps left. — sweep (はらい)

Watch for: The diagonal is too short, so the second turn comes well above the middle and the curve starts too high. Fix: Take the diagonal down past the horizontal center line, further left than where you began, then turn, as in the model.

しろ · shiro · whiteろく · roku · sixおふろ · ofuro · bath

Trace, copy, then cover the model and write from memory.

Stroke model: KanjiVG, © Ulrich Apel and contributors · CC BY-SA 3.0 · kanjivg.tagaini.net · license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Draft teaching content; Japanese educator review pending. Generated audio: see full guide.
Full guide and sources: minimachi.com/hiragana/ro/

Listen to the sounds and examples on this page

Generated speech: Google Cloud Text-to-Speech. Checked by a native Japanese speaker. Audio is available only for items with a Listen button. Listen plays at normal speed; Slow gives more listening time at the original pitch. Sound hints are drafts pending educator review.

Kana sounds

  • ろ ro

Example words

  • しろ white
  • よろしく pleased to meet you
  • おふろ bath
  • ろく six