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頭

頭 — head, counter for large animals

Learn the correct stroke order for 頭 (head), a 16-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 216 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 16
On'yomi (音読み)トウtou、ズzu、トto
Kun'yomi (訓読み)あたまatama、かしらkashira、-がしらgashira、かぶりkaburi
Strokes16
Radical頁
Frequency#433
Meaningshead, counter for large animals

Step-by-Step Diagram

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Try Writing It

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

Draw stroke 1 of 16 — start from the green dot

Common Words

音頭おんどlead (in a cheer, toast, song, etc.); (someone's) leadnoun
会頭かいとうsociety presidentnoun
街頭がいとう(on the) streetnoun
口頭こうとうoral; verbal; spokennoun
出頭しゅっとうappearance; presence; attendancenoun
初頭しょとうbeginning (of a century, etc.)noun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 頭 (head) is taught in grade 2 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 16 strokes with radical 頁.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 頭 is #433, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

音頭おんど — lead (in a cheer, toast, song, etc.); (someone's) lead
会頭かいとう — society president
街頭がいとう — (on the) street

Practice Sheet

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

Related Kanji

Same radical (頁)

頂place on the head頃time順obey項paragraph須ought預deposit頑stubborn頒distribute

Same reading

当hit都metropolis投throw渡transit登ascend途route倒overthrow等etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 頭 have?

The kanji 頭 (head) has 16 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 頭?

頭 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 頭 mean?

頭 means: head, counter for large animals. On'yomi readings: トウ, ズ, ト. Kun'yomi readings: あたま, かしら, -がしら, かぶり.

What JLPT level is 頭?

頭 is a JLPT N3 kanji. This is an intermediate kanji.