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劣

劣 — inferiority, be inferior to, be worse

Learn the correct stroke order for 劣 (inferiority), a 6-stroke kanji.

JLPT N1Secondary school6 strokes

Stroke Order

123456
Stroke 0 / 6
On'yomi (音読み)レツretsu
Kun'yomi (訓読み)おと.るotoru
Strokes6
Radical力
Frequency#1620
Meaningsinferiority, be inferior to, be worse

Step-by-Step Diagram

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6

Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 6 — start from the green dot

Common Words

拙劣せつれつclumsy; unskillfulna-adjective
卑劣ひれつmean; contemptible; despicablena-adjective
優劣ゆうれつ(relative) merits; superiority or inferiority; qualitynoun
劣るおとるto be inferior to; to be less good at; to fall behindverb
劣悪れつあくpoor (quality, conditions, etc.); bad; inferiorna-adjective
劣化れっかdeterioration (in quality, performance, etc.); degradation; worseningnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 劣 (inferiority) is part of the secondary school kanji set and appears at JLPT N1 level. It has 6 strokes with radical 力.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 劣 is #1620, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

拙劣せつれつ — clumsy; unskillful
卑劣ひれつ — mean; contemptible; despicable
優劣ゆうれつ — (relative) merits; superiority or inferiority; quality

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (力)

力power加add功achievement助help労labor努toil励encourage効merit

Same reading

裂split烈ardent

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 劣 have?

The kanji 劣 (inferiority) has 6 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 劣?

劣 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 劣 mean?

劣 means: inferiority, be inferior to, be worse. On'yomi readings: レツ. Kun'yomi readings: おと.る.

What JLPT level is 劣?

劣 is a JLPT N1 kanji. This is an advanced kanji.