调 (diào) is a Chinese character meaning “tone (of speech)”. It is written from 讠 (speech radical) and 周 (week; circuit; all around), side by side, and takes 10 strokes. It has a second reading, tiáo, which turns up in 空调 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “tone; to investigate”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
讠 + 周
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（讠2画 + 周8画 = 调10画；笔画 0–1 为「讠」，笔画 2–9 与「周」逐笔对应）
Memory aid
Words (讠) passed all around (周) the group until everyone is in tune — that is adjusting, and finding the right tone.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 调查diào cháto investigate; to survey; an investigation调 = diàoHSK 4
- 声调shēng diàotone (of a syllable)调 = diào
Go deeper
All readings
tone; tune; to investigate; to transfer
tone (of speech); melody, tune; to investigate; to transfer, to move (people or things)
字音的高低升降；乐曲的调子；调查；调动、分派。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 调查diào cháto investigate; to survey; an investigation调 = diàoHSK 4
- 声调shēng diàotone (of a syllable)调 = diào
to adjust; to mix
to adjust; to regulate; to mix, to blend; harmonious
调整、调节；调和、搭配均匀。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 空调kōng tiáoair conditioner; air conditioning调 = tiáo
- 烹调pēng tiáoto cook (dishes); cooking调 = tiáo
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 调 mean?
调 (diào) means tone (of speech); melody, tune; to investigate; to transfer, to move (people or things).
How do you pronounce 调?
Its main reading is diào. It also has a second reading, tiáo, which only shows up in certain words such as 空调 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 调 sometimes pronounced tiáo?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 空调 it is read tiáo.
What parts is 调 made of?
讠 (speech radical) and 周 (week; circuit; all around), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（讠2画 + 周8画 = 调10画；笔画 0–1 为「讠」，笔画 2–9 与「周」逐笔对应）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 调 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 调?
讠. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 调?
Common ones are 调查 and 声调. The reading of 调 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.