蜂 — “Bee / Wasp / Hornet” in Japanese

Master (高手)ほう, はち

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“Bee / Wasp / Hornet” in Japanese is 蜂, read hou, hachi (ほう, はち). 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 蜂 (bee).

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What does 蜂 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	蜂
Meaning	Bee / Wasp / Hornet
Readings	ほう, はち
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	蜂 (bee)

How to read 蜂

蜂 is read hou (ほう) or hachi (はち) depending on the word.

Words with 蜂

蜂蜜

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Kanji read the same way as 蜂

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

Updated: 2026-08-28