嗷 meaning and stroke order
Clamor; the sound of wailing
How to write 嗷, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 嗷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- loud clamor
- the sound of wailing
How 嗷 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 敖 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 嗷
嗷 combines 口 (kǒu, mouth) with 敖 (áo), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth on the left letting out a loud áo sound, like a crowd crying out.
嗷 is mostly used in sound words and set phrases, often doubled as 嗷嗷. A common phrase is 嗷嗷待哺 (áo áo dài bǔ), describing hungry mouths crying to be fed. Example: 孩子饿得嗷嗷叫。(Háizi è de áo áo jiào.) The child was so hungry he was wailing.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 嗷 with 傲 (ào, proud) and 熬 (áo, to boil or endure), because all three share 敖. Check the left side: 口 means a sound, 亻 means a person's attitude, and 灬 at the bottom means fire.
Questions about 嗷
How many strokes are in 嗷?
嗷 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 嗷 mean?
嗷 (áo) means clamor; the sound of wailing.
How do you pronounce 嗷?
嗷 is pronounced áo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 嗷?
The radical of 嗷 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 嗷 under this radical.
Is 嗷 used on its own in everyday speech?
Rarely. It usually appears doubled as 嗷嗷 or in phrases like 嗷嗷叫 (áo áo jiào) and 嗷嗷待哺. In online writing, people also use 嗷 or 嗷嗷 as a playful cry of excitement or pain.
What does 嗷嗷待哺 mean?
It literally describes young birds or babies crying out while waiting to be fed. It is also used figuratively for people in urgent need of help or supplies.