霊 — “Spirits / Soul” in Japanese

Master (高手)れい, りょう, たま

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“Spirits / Soul” in Japanese is 霊, read rei, ryou, tama (れい, りょう, たま). 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 霊魂 (soul).

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What does 霊 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	霊
Meaning	Spirits / Soul
Readings	れい, りょう, たま
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	霊魂 (soul)

How to read 霊

霊 is read rei (れい) or ryou (りょう) or tama (たま) depending on the word.

Words with 霊

霊魂
幽霊

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Kanji read the same way as 霊

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

Updated: 2026-08-28