铐 (kào) is a Chinese character meaning “handcuffs”. It is written from 钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 考 (to test; to examine), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “handcuffs”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
钅 + 考
Left–right structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 0–4 + 考 6 画 5–10 = 11 画）；声符 考 kǎo 与 铐 kào 仅声调不同
Memory aid
钅 (metal) on the left: this thing is made of metal. 考 on the right lends its sound — 考 is kǎo, 铐 is kào, only the tone changes. Metal + kào = handcuffs.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 手铐shǒu kàohandcuffs铐 = kào
- 镣铐liào kàoshackles and handcuffs; fetters铐 = kào
Go deeper
All readings
handcuffs
handcuffs; to handcuff
束缚犯人手腕的刑具，即手铐；也指给人戴上手铐。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 手铐shǒu kàohandcuffs铐 = kào
- 镣铐liào kàoshackles and handcuffs; fetters铐 = kào
Sound component
考 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 铐 mean?
铐 (kào) means handcuffs; to handcuff.
How do you pronounce 铐?
It is pronounced kào.
What parts is 铐 made of?
钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 考 (to test; to examine), side by side. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 0–4 + 考 6 画 5–10 = 11 画）；声符 考 kǎo 与 铐 kào 仅声调不同. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 铐 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 铐?
金. 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 铐?
Common ones are 手铐 and 镣铐. The reading of 铐 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.