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HIRAGANA · CHARACTER GUIDE

を (wo, read o) in hiragana

を is the hiragana character for the object particle. It is read o and typed wo.

Reading
o
Type
wo
Katakana
ヲ
Strokes
3
Audio
see listening section
On this page

Two characters, one sound.

The full model: 3 strokes, numbered in order.

start end

Same sound
お · oAlso read o. In おかね, write お, not を: おかね, not をかね.

In everyday speech を and お sound the same. The particle is written を; type wo to enter it. In a word such as おかね, write お, not を.

Memory hook: Picture a scoop catching the object of the sentence: a short bar, a zigzag down the middle, and a curve crossing it to scoop underneath. Make your own · All 46 hiragana mnemonics

More hiragana activities

WRITE IT

How to write を: stroke order

Shape: Tall: a short top line, a zigzag that comes down the middle, and a big curve below.

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

  1. Stroke 1Stop とめ

    Starts far left, well above the horizontal center line. A short line rising gently to the right, ending well right of the vertical center line.

  2. Stroke 2Stop とめ

    Starts just left of the vertical center line, above stroke 1. Slant down to the left across stroke 1, turn sharply, then curve right and come straight down the center line.

  3. Stroke 3Stop とめ

    Starts far right, above the horizontal center line. Slant down to the left across stroke 2, curve round at the bottom left, then go right along the bottom, ending a little left of where you began.

One mistake to avoid: stroke 2

Watch for
The end of stroke 2 leans to the left, so the letter looks off balance.
Fix
After the turn, bring stroke 2 straight down the vertical center line.
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 を in print and in sentences.

を in handwriting and three typefaces

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

Printed を keeps the short bar, the zigzag and the wide curve. Copy the handwriting model’s three strokes.

In the sentences here, を follows the noun naming what you drink or read.

を in a sentence

  • mizu o nomimasu “I drink water.”
  • hon o yomimasu “I read a book.”

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

Read more words with を

TELL THEM APART

を or お: which one to write?

Use を for the particle, read o: in みずを のみます (mizu o nomimasu), I drink water, it marks the object. The particle has other uses too, such as marking a route. In おかね (okane), money, write お, not を.

A quick check

Four gaps to fill: を or お? Write を only for the particle. Only your first answer to each gap counts.

SOUND AND SPELLING

Read o, typed wo.

As a particle: を marks the object, the thing you drink, read or eat, as in the sentences above. It is read o.

Same sound: を is read o, the same sound as お. Use を for the particle; it can mark an object or a route. In おかね (okane), money, use お, not を. In ordinary speech it is read o; you may hear wo in songs or very careful speech, and when people name the letter.

Spelling: Type wo to enter を with romaji input. Romaji often writes the particle as o.

Open the guide for お (o), the same soundゐ (wi), an old kana of the W rowゑ (we), the other old kana of the W row

YOUR NEXT STEP

Read を in sentences.

The practice quiz asks for readings, and を and お are both read o, so sentences are the better practice: short everyday actions with the object particle.

Read sentences with をPractice を, お, わ and ん

Learn を with its group in lesson 10 · 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

を · o

を is the hiragana character for the object particle. It is read o and typed wo.

Writing model
1
2
3

Write it, stroke by stroke.

  1. Starts far left, high in the box; a short line rising gently right. — stop (とめ)
  2. Starts above stroke 1; slants down-left across it, turns, then goes down. — stop (とめ)
  3. Starts far right; across stroke 2, round the bottom, then right. — stop (とめ)

Watch for: The end of stroke 2 leans to the left, so the letter looks off balance. Fix: After the turn, bring stroke 2 straight down the vertical center line.

みずを のみます。 · mizu o nomimasu · “I drink water.”ほんを よみます。 · hon o yomimasu · “I read a book.”

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/wo/

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

  • を o