り (ri)
Pronunciation
The character り represents the syllable 'ri', a soft Japanese 'r' followed by 'i'. Part of the ら-row. The Japanese 'r' here is a single tap of the tongue — closer to a soft 'd' or 'l' sound than the English 'r'.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
り is rendered in a single connected stroke (some handwriting styles split it into two separate curves). The visual result has two parallel-looking curves: a short curving stroke on the left that slants from upper right to lower left, and a longer parallel curving stroke on the right that ends with a small upward hook at the bottom.
Common Words with り
- ひとり (hitori) — one person
- うりあげ (uriage) — amount sold / sales / proceeds
- おくりもの (okurimono) — present / gift
- てがかり (tegakari) — clue / lead / key
- ひとりごと (hitorigoto) — soliloquy / monologue / speaking to oneself
- あかり (akari) — light / glow / gleam
- しゃりょう (sharyou) — vehicle / car / car
- かたまり (katamari) — lump / mass / bundle
- えり (eri) — collar / lapel / neckband
- かみなり (kaminari) — lightning / thunder / thunderbolt
- きり (kiri) — fog / mist
- くさり (kusari) — chain / chains
- くすり (kusuri) — medicine / pharmaceuticals / drugs
- けむり (kemuri) — smoke / fumes
- こおり (koori) — ice
- となり (tonari) — next / adjoining / adjacent
- とり (tori) — bird
- なまり (namari) — lead
- ひかり (hikari) — light
- ひだり (hidari) — left / left-hand side
How to Write り (ri) in Hiragana
The hiragana character り is romanized as "ri" and is written with 1 stroke. Between "ree" and "lee" — quick tongue tap. Example word: りんご (ringo) — apple.
Stroke Order for り
When writing り, 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 り 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.