礁 — “Reef / Sunken Rock” in Japanese

Master (高手)しょう

Radical ⽯ · radical 112 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Reef / Sunken Rock” in Japanese is 礁, read shou (しょう). 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 珊瑚礁 (coral reef).

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What does 礁 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	礁
Meaning	Reef / Sunken Rock
Readings	しょう
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	珊瑚礁 (coral reef)

How to read 礁

礁 is read shou (しょう) depending on the word.

Words with 礁

珊瑚礁

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Kanji read the same way as 礁

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

Updated: 2026-08-28