嚇 — “Menacing / Dignity / Majesty / Threaten” in Japanese

Master (高手)かく, おど

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

“Menacing / Dignity / Majesty / Threaten” in Japanese is 嚇, read kaku, odo (かく, おど). 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 威嚇 (intimidation).

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What does 嚇 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	嚇
Meaning	Menacing / Dignity / Majesty / Threaten
Readings	かく, おど
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	威嚇 (intimidation)

How to read 嚇

嚇 is read kaku (かく) or odo (おど) depending on the word.

Words with 嚇

威嚇

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Kanji read the same way as 嚇

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

Updated: 2026-08-28