特 — “special” in Japanese

Grade 4とく

Radical ⽜ · radical 93 The building block this kanji is filed under

“special” in Japanese is 特, read toku (とく). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 特別 (special).

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What does 特 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	特
Meaning	special
Readings	とく
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	特別 (special)

How to read 特

特 is read toku (とく) depending on the word.

Words with 特

特別とくべつ
独特どくとく
特徴
特殊

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Kanji read the same way as 特

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Updated: 2026-08-28