绞 (jiǎo) is a Chinese character meaning “to twist”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 交 (to cross; to hand over; to intersect), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to twist; to wring”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
纟 + 交
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（3+6=9）
Memory aid
Silk threads (纟) made to cross each other (交) — twist them together tightly and you get a twisted rope. 交 also hints at the sound: jiāo → jiǎo.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 绞痛jiǎo tòngsharp, cramping pain; colic绞 = jiǎo
- 绞尽脑汁jiǎo jìn nǎo zhīto rack one's brains绞 = jiǎo
Go deeper
All readings
to twist; to wring
to twist; to wring; to wind (with a winch); to strangle
把两股以上的条状物扭在一起；拧；用绳子勒；转动轮轴卷绕。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 绞痛jiǎo tòngsharp, cramping pain; colic绞 = jiǎo
- 绞尽脑汁jiǎo jìn nǎo zhīto rack one's brains绞 = jiǎo
Sound component
交 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 绞 mean?
绞 (jiǎo) means to twist; to wring; to wind (with a winch); to strangle.
How do you pronounce 绞?
It is pronounced jiǎo.
What parts is 绞 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 交 (to cross; to hand over; to intersect), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（3+6=9）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 绞 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 绞?
糸. 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 绞?
Common ones are 绞痛 and 绞尽脑汁. The reading of 绞 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.