冠 — “Crown / Best / Peerless” in Japanese

Master (高手)かん, かんむり

Radical ⼍ · radical 14 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Crown / Best / Peerless” in Japanese is 冠, read kan, kanmuri (かん, かんむり). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 王冠 (crown).

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What does 冠 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	冠
Meaning	Crown / Best / Peerless
Readings	かん, かんむり
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	王冠 (crown)

How to read 冠

冠 is read kan (かん) or kanmuri (かんむり) depending on the word.

Words with 冠

王冠

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Kanji read the same way as 冠

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28