勒 (lè) is a Chinese character meaning “to rein in (a horse)”. It is written from 革 (leather; hide) and 力 (strength; power), side by side, and takes 11 strokes. It has a second reading, lēi, which turns up in 勒紧 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to rein in; to force”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
革 + 力
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：勒，马头络衔也。从革，力声（现代字形经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：革=0–8，力=9–10）
Memory aid
A leather strap (革) pulled with strength (力) — you rein it in tight.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 勒索lè suǒto extort; to blackmail勒 = lè
- 勾勒gōu lèto outline; to sketch the contours of勒 = lè
Go deeper
All readings
to rein in; to force
to rein in (a horse); to force, to compel; to carve; to outline
拉住缰绳使停下；强迫；雕刻；描画轮廓。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 勒索lè suǒto extort; to blackmail勒 = lè
- 勾勒gōu lèto outline; to sketch the contours of勒 = lè
to tie tightly
to tie or strap tightly
用绳子等捆住或套住，再用力拉紧。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 勒紧lēi jǐnto tighten (a strap, belt, etc.)勒 = lēi
Sound component
力 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 勒 mean?
勒 (lè) means to rein in (a horse); to force, to compel; to carve; to outline.
How do you pronounce 勒?
Its main reading is lè. It also has a second reading, lēi, which only shows up in certain words such as 勒紧 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 勒 sometimes pronounced lēi?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 勒紧 it is read lēi.
What parts is 勒 made of?
革 (leather; hide) and 力 (strength; power), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：勒，马头络衔也。从革，力声（现代字形经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：革=0–8，力=9–10）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 勒 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 勒?
力. 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 勒?
Common ones are 勒索 and 勾勒. The reading of 勒 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.