塔 — “Pagoda / Tower / Steeple” in Japanese

Master (高手)とう

Radical ⼟ · radical 32 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Pagoda / Tower / Steeple” in Japanese is 塔, read tou (とう). 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 鉄塔 (steel tower).

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What does 塔 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	塔
Meaning	Pagoda / Tower / Steeple
Readings	とう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	鉄塔 (steel tower)

How to read 塔

塔 is read tou (とう) depending on the word.

Words with 塔

鉄塔

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Kanji read the same way as 塔

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

Updated: 2026-08-28