Seven stroke-order rules every beginner should know
Top-to-bottom, left-to-right, and the other patterns that unlock most kanji.
Japanese stroke order looks mysterious until you notice a handful of repeatable rules.
1. Write from top to bottom.
2. Write from left to right.
3. Horizontal strokes usually precede vertical ones when they cross.
4. Centre strokes often come before symmetrical sides (as in 小 or 木).
5. Outer frames before inner contents — then close the frame last when needed (口, 日).
6. Diagonal left-falling strokes (丿) often precede right-falling ones (乀).
7. Boxes get bottom strokes after the inside is finished.
Practice these on high-frequency N5 characters like 永, 木, 田, and 国. Watch the step diagrams on each KanjiStroke character page, then print a worksheet and write each stroke slowly. Muscle memory beats memorising exception lists.
When two lookalikes confuse you (未 vs 末, 土 vs 士), compare stroke length on the critical horizontal — that tiny difference is easier to feel when you write both side by side.