高 — “high / tall” in Japanese

Grade 2こう, たか

Radical ⾼ · radical 189 The building block this kanji is filed under

“high / tall” in Japanese is 高, read kou, taka (こう, たか). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 高校 (high school).

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What does 高 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	高
Meaning	high / tall
Readings	こう, たか
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	高校 (high school)

How to read 高

高 is read kou (こう) or taka (たか) depending on the word.

Words with 高

最高さいこう
高校こうこう
高速こうそく
高速道路こうそくどうろ
高級
高尚
高楼
最高峰

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Kanji read the same way as 高

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28