音 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

by

音

音 means ‘sound’ or ‘noise.’ It places 立 (stand) above 日 (sun/day), evoking the idea of a voice or sound that stands up and projects outward from its source.

Reading

On’yomi: オン (on), イン (in)

Kun’yomi: おと (oto), ね (ne)

Basic Information

Kanji 音
Meaning sound, noise
Stroke Count 9
JLPT Level N5

How to Understand This Kanji

音 (おと) refers to general sounds and noises, while the reading ね is used in musical contexts for individual tones or pitches. The on’yomi オン appears in many compound words related to music, pronunciation, and language.

Common Words

  • 音楽（おんがく / ongaku） — music
  • 発音（はつおん / hatsuon） — pronunciation
  • 音（おと / oto） — sound, noise
  • 音声（おんせい / onsei） — voice, audio
  • 騒音（そうおん / sōon） — noise, din
  • 音読み（おんよみ / onyomi） — on’yomi (Chinese-derived reading)

Example Sentences

  • 外からうるさい音が聞こえます。

    そとからうるさいおとがきこえます。 / Soto kara urusai oto ga kikoemasu.

    I can hear a loud noise from outside.

  • 音楽を聴くのが好きです。

    おんがくをきくのがすきです。 / Ongaku o kiku no ga suki desu.

    I like listening to music.

  • 日本語の発音を練習しています。

    にほんごのはつおんをれんしゅうしています。 / Nihongo no hatsuon o renshū shite imasu.

    I am practicing Japanese pronunciation.

Related Kanji

  • 声

    — Voice — a related concept to sound, and often used in pairs like 音声

  • 楽

    — 音楽 (music) directly combines 音 and 楽

  • 聞

    — To hear/listen — the natural counterpart action to 音 (sound)

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

音 is important for both music vocabulary and understanding Japanese pronunciation. Words like 発音 (pronunciation) and 音楽 (music) use this kanji daily. On’yomi (音読み) literally means reading with the 音 sound.

Summary

音 means ‘sound’ and is central to music and pronunciation vocabulary, appearing in very common words like 音楽 and 発音.