How to Write 嚎 (háo) — Meaning “To howl / To wail”

Imagine a wolf (狼) opening its mouth (口) wide under the night sky and letting out a long howl — "HAO!" The character 豪 on the right can be thought of as a "hero" wolf whose cry is strong and proud. This image ties the sound and meaning together.

Pay attention to the balance: the left radical 口 should be small and high, while the right side 豪 is tall. The lower part of 豪 contains 豕 (pig) under 亠, so make sure the strokes are evenly spaced. A common mistake is making the 口 too large or misaligning the top and bottom halves.

嘬 (chuài) means "to suck" or "to eat greedily" and is not used for loud sounds; 嘭 (pēng) is an onomatopoeia for a banging or popping sound. In contrast, 嚎 specifically refers to a prolonged, mournful howl or cry, often from animals or people in grief, and is not a general sound word.

嚎 is used to describe the howling of wolves (狼嚎) or loud crying of a person, especially in the word 嚎啕大哭 (to wail loudly). It appears in literature and news to emphasize uncontrollable, intense sorrow. Unlike 叫 (jiào), 嚎 carries a raw, animal-like quality and is less common in everyday speech.

Common words containing 嚎 include: 嚎叫 (háo jiào) — To howl / To yell; 嚎啕大哭 (háo táo dà kū) — To cry loudly / To wail; 狼嚎 (láng háo) — wolf howl.