れ (re)
Pronunciation
The character れ represents the syllable 're', a soft Japanese 'r' followed by 'e' as in 'pet'. Part of the ら-row. Take care: れ shares its left side with ね and わ — れ has no loop on the right (compare ね's closed loop and わ's curving sweep).
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
れ is written in two strokes. Stroke 1: a short vertical line on the left, slanting slightly. Stroke 2: a long flowing curving stroke that begins at the top right, sweeps down through the middle, curves to the right at the bottom, and ends with a small upward hook on the lower right — without forming any closed loop. The lack of a loop is what visually distinguishes れ from ね and わ.
Common Words with れ
- れい (rei) — zero / nought
- おれ (ore) — I / me
- くれない (kurenai) — deep red / crimson
- だれ (dare) — who
- れつ (retsu) — row / line / file
- かれ (kare) — he / him
- これ (kore) — this / this one
- おそれ (osore) — fear / horror / anxiety
- かれら (karera) — they / them
- がくれき (gakureki) — academic background / academic credentials / academic record
- げきれい (gekirei) — encouragement / spurring / cheering
- こうれい (kourei) — established practice / custom
- せいれき (seireki) — Common Era / CE / Christian Era
- つかれ (tsukare) — tiredness / fatigue
- ねつれつ (netsuretsu) — ardent / passionate / vehement
- はずれ (hazure) — end / verge / extremity
- はれ (hare) — clear weather / fine weather
- ひれい (hirei) — proportion
- むれ (mure) — group / crowd / flock
- めいれい (meirei) — order / command / decree
How to Write れ (re) in Hiragana
The hiragana character れ is romanized as "re" and is written with 2 strokes. Between "re" and "le" — quick tongue tap. Example word: れきし (rekishi) — history.
Stroke Order for れ
When writing れ, follow the numbered stroke order shown in the reference character above. Japanese characters are generally written from left to right and top to bottom. Correct stroke order improves readability and writing speed.
Practice Tips
- Print this sheet on standard 8.5" × 11" letter paper
- Start by tracing the light grey guide characters in the first column
- Then practice writing れ freehand in the empty squares
- Pay attention to stroke direction and order — follow the numbered guide
- For interactive practice with animations, visit the main study page
About Hiragana
Hiragana is one of the three Japanese writing systems. It consists of 46 basic characters, each representing a syllable. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb endings. Learning correct stroke order is essential for proper Japanese handwriting.