奏 — “to play music / to report to a ruler” in Japanese

Grade 6そう, かな

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“to play music / to report to a ruler” in Japanese is 奏, read sou, kana (そう, かな). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 演奏 (musical performance).

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What does 奏 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	奏
Meaning	to play music / to report to a ruler
Readings	そう, かな
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	演奏 (musical performance)

How to read 奏

奏 is read sou (そう) or kana (かな) depending on the word.

Words with 奏

演奏

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Kanji read the same way as 奏

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28