号 — “number / issue” in Japanese

Grade 3ごう

Radical ⼝ · radical 30 The building block this kanji is filed under

“number / issue” in Japanese is 号, read gou (ごう). It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 番号 (number).

Try it now

What does 号 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	号
Meaning	number / issue
Readings	ごう
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	番号 (number)

How to read 号

号 is read gou (ごう) depending on the word.

Words with 号

信号しんごう
番号
号泣

Learn 号 in real sentences — free

Read stories and news built from only the kanji you already know. KanjiSchool’s path covers all 2,136 Jōyō kanji — 1,018 ready to learn now.

Start free — no credit card →

Kanji read the same way as 号

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

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28