How to Write 颚 (è) — Meaning “jaw / palate”

Imagine a page (页) of an anatomy book showing the jaw, with a mouth (口) drawn underneath it. The two mouths stacked on the left (口口) look like teeth biting down. This visual helps link the shape to its meaning of jaw and palate.

A common mistake is making the left part (咢) too tall or unbalanced with the right 页 part. The left part should be slightly narrower and the right part 页 should align in the middle. The correct stroke order starts with the left side: first the two mouths (口, 口) then the horizontal and vertical strokes, followed by the right side 页 (丿, 一, 丨, 乛, 丿, 丶).

Unlike 颚, the left part of 颐 is 臣 (minister) and it means cheek or chin, often in words like 颐养 (to nurture). The character 频 has 步 (step) on the left and means frequency or repeatedly. Visually, 颚 has two mouths stacked, while 颐 has a vertical cabinet shape and 频 has a step-like pattern.

颚 is used mainly in anatomy and medical terms, such as 下颚 (lower jaw) and 上颚 (upper palate), as well as 颚骨 (jawbone). It appears in scientific contexts, like describing insect mouth parts, but is not common in everyday conversation. You might see it in a dentist's office or biology textbook.

Common words containing 颚 include: 下颚 (xià è) — lower jaw; mandible; 上颚 (shàng è) — upper palate; roof of the mouth; 颚骨 (è gǔ) — jawbone.