ko / コ
The last of the K row — a boxy “ko” in two strokes, shaped like an open bracket. It opens coffee, cola, and convenience.
Pronunciation
The character コ represents the syllable 'ko', identical in pronunciation to hiragana こ. Extremely common in loanwords (coffee, cola, computer, convenience store).
コ matches hiragana こ — a steady “ko.” Shaped like an open bracket, it fronts some of the most common loanwords in daily life: コーヒー (coffee), コンビニ (convenience store), コップ (cup), コンピューター (computer).
How to write コ
Trace コ on the canvas at the top of the page. Animated arrows show each stroke's direction; trace along them and the stroke fills in. Each numbered step below explains what that stroke does.
A single stroke across the top that turns and runs down the right side — the top and right of an open bracket.
A horizontal stroke along the bottom, left to right, closing コ into its boxy shape.
Origin
Katakana コ comes from the top of the kanji 己 (ko, “self,” “oneself”). The squared upper bend of 己 is exactly the open-bracket shape コ keeps today.
Common words starting with コ
Printable practice sheet
Print this worksheet to practice writing コ by hand — the top row shows the stroke order to trace, then fill the blank squares.
Lock it into memory
Reading is only half of it. Drill the katakana you’ve learned with spaced-repetition flashcards — the fastest way to make them stick.