ロ (ro)
Pronunciation
The character ロ represents the syllable 'ro', identical in pronunciation to hiragana ろ. Common in loanwords for robot, lobby, Europe, rocket, romance, Russia, melon, Rome, London, rock, and many more.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
ロ is written in three strokes. Stroke 1: a short vertical line on the left. Stroke 2: a horizontal line at the top that connects with stroke 1's top and turns down on the right end (forming the top and right side as one connected stroke). Stroke 3: a horizontal line at the bottom, connecting the bottoms of strokes 1 and 2. The result is a clean, geometric square — visually identical to the kanji 口 (mouth).
Common Words with ロ
- ロボット (robotto) — robot
- ロビー (robii) — lobby
- ヨーロッパ (yooroppa) — Europe
- ロケット (roketto) — rocket
- ロマンス (romansu) — romance
- ロシア (roshia) — Russia
- メロン (meron) — melon
- ローマ (rooma) — Rome
- ロンドン (rondon) — London
- ロック (rokku) — rock (music / lock)
- メロディー (merodii) — melody
- マクロ (makuro) — macro
How to Write ロ (ro) in Katakana
The katakana character ロ is romanized as "ro" and is written with 3 strokes. Between "ro" and "lo" — quick tongue tap. Example word: ロボット (robotto) — robot.
Stroke Order for ロ
When writing ロ, 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 ロ 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.