較 — “Contrast / Compare” in Japanese

Master (高手)かく, こう, くら

Radical ⾞ · radical 159 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Contrast / Compare” in Japanese is 較, read kaku, kou, kura (かく, こう, くら). 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 比較 (comparison).

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What does 較 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	較
Meaning	Contrast / Compare
Readings	かく, こう, くら
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	比較 (comparison)

How to read 較

較 is read kaku (かく) or kou (こう) or kura (くら) depending on the word.

Words with 較

比較

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Kanji read the same way as 較

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

Updated: 2026-08-28