ホ (ho)
Pronunciation
The character ホ represents the syllable 'ho', identical in pronunciation to hiragana ほ. Common in loanwords for hotel, hot, home, white, horror, and many compound words.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
ホ is written in four strokes. Stroke 1: a short horizontal line near the top. Stroke 2: a long vertical line that crosses through stroke 1 and descends through the center of the character. Stroke 3: a short diagonal stroke on the upper left, slanting down toward stroke 2. Stroke 4: a short diagonal stroke on the upper right, mirroring stroke 3. The character has a clean, balanced cross shape with two diagonal accents.
Common Words with ホ
- ホテル (hoteru) — hotel
- ホット (hotto) — hot
- ホットドッグ (hottodoggu) — hot dog
- ホワイト (howaito) — white
- ホーム (hoomu) — home / train platform
- ホラー (horaa) — horror
- ホッケー (hokkee) — hockey
- ホイール (hoiiru) — wheel
- ホース (hoosu) — hose (water)
- スマホ (sumaho) — smartphone
- ホームラン (hoomuran) — home run (baseball)
- ホログラム (horoguramu) — hologram
How to Write ホ (ho) in Katakana
The katakana character ホ is romanized as "ho" and is written with 4 strokes. Like "ho" in "hope". Example word: ホテル (hoteru) — hotel.
Stroke Order for ホ
When writing ホ, 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 ホ 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 Katakana
Katakana is one of the three Japanese writing systems. It consists of 46 basic characters, each representing a syllable. Katakana is used for foreign loanwords, scientific terms, and emphasis. Learning correct stroke order is essential for proper Japanese handwriting.