30 sets of look-alike kanji and how to tell them apart
Many kanji differ by a single stroke: one line a little longer, a dot in a different place, a radical swapped for another. This guide groups the look-alikes that learners mix up most often, mostly from the JLPT N5–N3 levels, and points out what to look for in each. Select a kanji to see its readings, stroke order and example words.
These kanji have the same strokes. Only their lengths differ, so look at which line is the long one.
Both are 木 (tree) with an extra horizontal line on top. In 未 the top line is shorter than the one below it; in 末 the top line is the longer one.
Memory aid: 末 marks the tips of the branches, so its top line reaches out the furthest. 未 is a tree whose top hasn't grown yet.
In 土 the bottom line is longer than the top one. In 士 the top line is longer.
Memory aid: The ground (土) is broad at the bottom. The samurai (士) stands tall with broad shoulders.
In 人 the left stroke is the long one and the right stroke leans against it. 入 is the mirror image: the right stroke is longer and rises above the short left one. In 八 the two strokes don't touch at all.
Memory aid: A person (人) stands on two legs. 入 is an arrow pointing in. 八 is the number that splits apart.
The first stroke of 千 slants down to the left; the first stroke of 干 is a flat horizontal line.
Memory aid: Washing hung out to dry (干) hangs on a straight line. 千 is 十 (ten) with a slanted stroke on top.
In these kanji everything is the same except whether one stroke stops at a line or carries on past it.
The vertical stroke of 牛 pokes up above the top line. In 午 it starts at the top line.
Memory aid: The cow (牛) has a horn sticking up.
Both are 大 with a second horizontal line. In 天 the top line caps the kanji; in 夫 the centre stroke pokes up through it.
Memory aid: 夫 is a grown man (大) with a hairpin in his hair, the part that pokes out. Nothing rises above the sky (天).
The long stroke that sweeps down to the left starts above the top line in 失 and pokes through it. In 矢 it starts at the top line and doesn't.
Memory aid: Something slips through your fingers when you lose it (失). An arrow (矢) has a clean tip.
The second stroke of 力 starts above the horizontal line and crosses it. In 刀 it starts at the line, so nothing sticks out on top.
Memory aid: Power (力) is a flexed arm that bulges past the line. A sword (刀) has a smooth blade.
All four are a box divided by a cross. The vertical line stays inside the box in 田, pokes out of the top in 由, out of the bottom in 甲, and out of both ends in 申.
Memory aid: A sprout comes up from the field in 由; a root goes down in 甲; 申 is lightning striking right through.
One kanji is the other plus a single dot or stroke, so the question is where the extra piece goes.
太 is 大 with a dot underneath, between the legs. 犬 is 大 with a dot at the top right.
Memory aid: The dog (犬) has an ear at the top. The dot weighs 太 down at the bottom.
日 has one line inside the box and 目 has two. Put a short slanted stroke on top of each and you get 白 (from 日) and 自 (from 目).
Memory aid: 自 was once a drawing of a nose: in Japan, people point to their nose to mean "me".
玉 is 王 with a dot at the bottom right. 主 is 王 with a dot on top.
Memory aid: The king (王) keeps his jewel (玉) at his side. The master (主) is a king with a flame above his head, like a lamp that lights the house.
少 is 小 with a slanted stroke sweeping down to the left underneath. Their meanings overlap too: 小 is about size, 少 is about amount.
Memory aid: 少 has had a piece cut off the bottom, so there's less of it.
本 is 木 with a short line across the bottom. Add the person radical 亻 and you get 休 (亻 + 木) and 体 (亻 + 本).
Memory aid: The line on 本 marks the tree's root, the origin. A person leaning against a tree is resting (休).
鳴 is 鳥 with 口 (mouth) on the left. 烏 is 鳥 with one stroke missing: the short line inside the head.
Memory aid: A bird with an open mouth is singing (鳴). The crow (烏) is so black you can't see its eye.
薬 is 楽 with the grass radical 艹 on top.
Memory aid: Medicine (薬) is made from plants, and it makes you feel comfortable (楽) again.
Both start with 目 (eye). 見 stands on two long legs (儿); 貝 ends in two short strokes (八).
Memory aid: 見 is an eye walking around looking at things. 貝 is a shell with two little feet poking out.
The difference is how far the last stroke climbs on the left. In 己 it stays at the bottom, leaving the left side open. In 已 it reaches halfway up. In 巳 it closes the top. Of the three, only 己 is in everyday use; 巳 mostly appears in the zodiac and 已 is rare in modern Japanese.
Memory aid: Open, half, closed: the self (己) is open, and the snake (巳) curls up completely.
These kanji share most of their shape. The part that differs, often the radical on the left or top, carries the meaning, so learn what that part means.
All four have 寺 on the right. The left side changes: 彳 (going, a road) in 待, 扌 (hand) in 持, 牛 (cow) in 特 and 亻 (person) in 侍.
Memory aid: You wait (待) at the side of the road, hold (持) with your hand, and the samurai (侍) is a person who serves.
問, 間 and 聞 are all 門 (gate) with something inside: 口 (mouth) in 問, 日 (sun) in 間 and 耳 (ear) in 聞.
Memory aid: A mouth at the gate asks a question (問). Sunlight through a gap in the gate is the space between (間). An ear at the gate listens (聞).
The right side is the same. 探 has 扌 (hand) on the left; 深 has 氵 (water).
Memory aid: You search (探) with your hands. Water (氵) is deep (深).
All three are read けん and share the right side. The left side is 阝 (hill) in 険, 木 (wood) in 検 and 馬 (horse) in 験.
Memory aid: A steep hill is dangerous (険). You inspect (検) wood for flaws. You test (験) a horse before you ride it.
Both are read せき and share the right side. 績 has 糸 (thread) on the left; 積 has 禾 (grain).
Memory aid: Grain (禾) gets piled up (積). 績 first meant spinning thread, work that builds up into results.
Both are read ふく. 復 has 彳 (going) on the left; 複 has 衤 (clothing).
Memory aid: You go back (彳) over a lesson to review it (復習). Layers of clothing (衤) make things multiple and complicated (複雑).
Both have 言 (words) on the left. The right side is 十 (ten) in 計 and 午 (noon) in 許.
Memory aid: You count (計) out loud up to ten (十).
Both have the grass radical 艹 on top. Underneath is 右 in 若 and 古 (old) in 苦.
Memory aid: Old (古) grass tastes bitter (苦). Fresh shoots are young (若).
The top is the same. 老 ends in 匕, which bends back up to the right; 考 ends in a zigzag stroke (丂) that hooks down.
Memory aid: The 匕 at the bottom of 老 is a person bent with age. Thinking (考) takes winding steps.
Both have 彳 on the left, 山 at the top middle and 攵 on the right. Under the 山, 微 has 一 and a small 几, while 徴 has 王 (king).
Memory aid: The king (王) levies taxes (徴収, ちょうしゅう). 微 holds only a tiny piece, so it means slight.
右 has 口 under the top, 左 has 工. 石 also has 口, but its top is a single flat line with the slanted stroke hanging from it, not crossing it. 右 and 左 are written in a different stroke order too: 右 starts with the slanted stroke, 左 with the horizontal.
Memory aid: You eat with your right hand, which brings food to your mouth (口).
Katakana were made from parts of kanji (カ from 加, タ from 多, ニ from 二, ハ from 八), so some look nearly the same as a kanji. The katakana are usually written a little smaller, but context is the surest guide: katakana spell out sounds, mostly in loanwords.
If the character sits in a run of katakana (カメラ, タクシー), it's katakana. If it's alone, next to other kanji or followed by okurigana, it's the kanji.
Memory aid: Read the word, not the character: there's no Japanese word spelled with the kanji 力 and メラ.