ku (く) Hiragana Stroke Order

The hiragana character く is pronounced as "ku" and is one of the fundamental characters in the Japanese writing system. Below you'll find both a stroke order diagram and an animated demonstration showing the proper sequence for writing く. Watch the animation carefully and practice tracing the character with your mouse or finger on the screen to master the correct stroke order and flow.

ku Hiragana stroke order chart
Hiragana  ku stroke order chart animation

How to Pronounce く (ku)

Sounds like the 'coo' in 'cool', but shorter.

Learn "く" Stroke Order - Step by Step

"く" Stroke Order Count:1

Stroke 1

Stroke Order Tips for く

Stroke 1

Draw a single diagonal stroke from upper-right curving down to lower-left, forming a less-than sign (<) shape.

"く" Stroke Order Worksheet

‌Download and print this stroke order practice worksheet as a PDF to perfect your character writing. The worksheet provides guided tracing space and blank grids for repeated practice.Below is a preview of the worksheet. The printed version will be larger – simply click the Print button to generate your PDF.

Hiragana "く" Stroke Order Online Practice

Practice writing hiragana in the area below using a mouse or stylus, following the example.

Common Words Using く

くち
kuchi
mouth
くも
kumo
cloud
くるま
kuruma
car
くだもの
kudamono
fruit

Characters Commonly Confused with く

Current
vs
(he)

く (ku) and へ (he) are both made of diagonal strokes, but へ points upward while く curves downward.

Dakuten and Handakuten Variants of く

(gu) Dakuten (゛)

Characters in the Same Row as く

Frequently Asked Questions about く

How many strokes does く have?

Hiragana く has 1 stroke. Katakana ク has 2 strokes.

Is く the same as the katakana ク?

No, they have different shapes. Hiragana く is one curved stroke, while katakana ク is more angular with two strokes.

All Hiragana Stroke Order