# Kanji stroke order rules

Most kanji follow a few rules: write from top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical when they cross, the centre before the sides, the outside before the inside, and close a box last. With these you can work out the stroke order of most new kanji.

## The rules

- Top to bottom. [三](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/three/): the top stroke comes first.

- Left to right. [川](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/river/): the left stroke comes first.

- Horizontal before vertical when they cross. [十](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/ten/): the horizontal comes first.

- Centre before sides. [小](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/small/): the middle stroke comes first, then left and right. [水](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/water/) works the same way.

- Left-falling stroke before right-falling. [人](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/person/): the stroke falling to the left comes first.

- Frame before contents. [月](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/month/): the frame comes first, then the two strokes inside.

- Close a box last. [国](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/country/): the bottom stroke comes after the contents. [田](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/rice-field/) works the same way.

- A vertical that runs through everything comes last. [中](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/middle/): the middle vertical comes at the end.

- A horizontal that runs through everything comes last. [女](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/woman/): the horizontal comes after the other two strokes.

- A dot at the top right comes last. [犬](https://moji.ninja/n4-kanji/dog/): the dot comes at the end.

- The road part goes last. [道](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/road/): the part 辶 is written after everything else.

## Exceptions

The rules are guides, not laws. The best-known exception is [右](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/right/) and [左](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/left/): both open with nearly the same strokes, but [右](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/right/) starts with the slanting one and [左](https://moji.ninja/n5-kanji/left/) with the horizontal. When in doubt, look at the diagram on the kanji's own page.

## Why stroke order matters

The right order keeps a kanji's proportions, makes your handwriting legible and quick, and helps you remember it. Handwriting recognition relies on it too. [Hiragana](https://moji.ninja/hiragana-chart/) and [katakana](https://moji.ninja/katakana-chart/) have a stroke order as well.

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: Does stroke order matter?**
Yes. It keeps a kanji in proportion, makes handwriting legible and helps your memory. A shared order also means others can read your quick writing.

**Q: Does the JLPT test stroke order?**
No. The test is multiple choice and has no handwriting.

**Q: Is stroke order the same in Chinese and Japanese?**
Often, but not always: some characters differ between the two, so follow the Japanese order if you are learning Japanese.

**Q: Where do the diagrams come from?**
All the diagrams here are from the KanjiVG project.

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From Moji Ninja (https://moji.ninja/), a free app for learning hiragana, katakana and the JLPT kanji from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition. Page: https://moji.ninja/kanji-stroke-order/. Last updated 2026-11-01.