択 — “Choose / Select / Elect / Prefer” in Japanese

Master (高手)たく, えら

Radical ⼿ · radical 64 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Choose / Select / Elect / Prefer” in Japanese is 択, read taku, era (たく, えら). 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 選択 (choice, selection).

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What does 択 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	択
Meaning	Choose / Select / Elect / Prefer
Readings	たく, えら
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	選択 (choice, selection)

How to read 択

択 is read taku (たく) or era (えら) depending on the word.

Words with 択

選択

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Kanji read the same way as 択

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

Updated: 2026-08-28