ろ (ro)
Pronunciation
The character ろ represents the syllable 'ro', a soft Japanese 'r' followed by 'o'. Part of the ら-row. Take care: ろ looks similar to る — but ろ has no closed loop at the bottom, while る does.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
ろ is written in a single stroke. Begin in the upper left with a short horizontal line, sweep down and to the right in a long flowing curve that arcs across the character, then continue to the lower right in a smooth tail — without closing into a loop. The open ending distinguishes ろ from る (which loops closed).
Common Words with ろ
- ころ (koro) — time / around / about
- いつごろ (itsugoro) — about when / about what time / how soon
- いろ (iro) — colour / color / hue
- こころざし (kokorozashi) — will / resolution / intention
- しろ (shiro) — castle
- どろ (doro) — mud / dirt
- ふくろ (fukuro) — bag / sack / pouch
- まぼろし (maboroshi) — phantom / vision / illusion
- ろく (roku) — six / 6
- ろけん (roken) — discovery / detection / exposure
- こころ (kokoro) — mind / heart / spirit
- ところ (tokoro) — place / spot / scene
- うしろ (ushiro) — back / behind / rear
- おろしうり (oroshiuri) — wholesale / wholesaling
- きいろ (kiiro) — yellow / amber
- きろく (kiroku) — record / document / minutes
- くろい (kuroi) — black
- くろう (kurou) — trouble / hardship / difficulty
- こころえ (kokoroe) — knowledge / understanding
- こころよい (kokoroyoi) — pleasant / agreeable / comfortable
How to Write ろ (ro) in Hiragana
The hiragana character ろ is romanized as "ro" and is written with 1 stroke. Between "ro" and "lo" — quick tongue tap. Example word: ろく (roku) — six.
Stroke Order for ろ
When writing ろ, 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 ろ 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.