鐘 — “Bell / Gong / Chimes” in Japanese

Master (高手)しょう, かね

Radical ⾦ · radical 167 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Bell / Gong / Chimes” in Japanese is 鐘, read shou, kane (しょう, かね). 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 鐘 (bell).

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What does 鐘 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	鐘
Meaning	Bell / Gong / Chimes
Readings	しょう, かね
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	鐘 (bell)

How to read 鐘

鐘 is read shou (しょう) or kane (かね) depending on the word.

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Kanji read the same way as 鐘

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

Updated: 2026-08-28