オ (o)
Pronunciation
The character オ represents the vowel 'o', identical in pronunciation to hiragana お — like the 'o' in 'oh'. Very common in loanwords, especially those starting with 'o' (office, orange, original).
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
オ is written in three strokes. Stroke 1: a short horizontal line near the top. Stroke 2: a long vertical line that crosses through stroke 1 and curves at the bottom, ending with a small leftward hook. Stroke 3: a short diagonal stroke on the right side that begins from stroke 2 and angles down and to the right. The shape is clean and angular.
Common Words with オ
- オレンジ (orenji) — orange (fruit)
- オフィス (ofuィsu) — office
- オーストラリア (oosutoraria) — Australia
- オリンピック (orinpikku) — Olympics
- オムレツ (omuretsu) — omelet
- オープン (oopun) — open
- オーケストラ (ookesutora) — orchestra
- オートバイ (ootobai) — motorcycle
- オリジナル (orijinaru) — original
- オペラ (opera) — opera
- オランダ (oranda) — Netherlands
- オクラ (okura) — okra
How to Write オ (o) in Katakana
The katakana character オ is romanized as "o" and is written with 3 strokes. Like "o" in "go", but shorter. Example word: オレンジ (orenji) — orange.
Stroke Order for オ
When writing オ, 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 オ 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.