層 — “layer / stratum” in Japanese

Grade 6そう

Radical ⼫ · radical 44 The building block this kanji is filed under

“layer / stratum” in Japanese is 層, read sou (そう). It is a Grade 6 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 6 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 階層 (hierarchy).

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What does 層 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	層
Meaning	layer / stratum
Readings	そう
Grade	Grade 6 (Hardest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	階層 (hierarchy)

How to read 層

層 is read sou (そう) depending on the word.

Words with 層

階層

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Kanji read the same way as 層

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Updated: 2026-08-28