How to Write 嘹 (liáo) — Meaning “resonant; loud and clear”

Picture a person with a big mouth (口) shouting under a bright sun (the top part of 尞 looks like the sun 日). That bright, open shout makes a loud and clear sound — exactly what 嘹 means.

The left side 口 should be small and placed at the upper-left, not stretching too low. On the right side, the top part is 日 (sun) with a short horizontal stroke below it, then 小 and 夂 — be careful not to connect the strokes of 日 and the lower parts incorrectly. Common mistake: writing a too-large 口 that unbalances the character.

㕡 (pronounced hè) means a ravine or gully — it uses 口 in a different context and has no connection to sound. 喿 (pronounced sào or zào) means noise or chirping, but it is a different composition (口 + 品 + 木) and is much less common. 嘹 specifically describes a loud and clear quality of sound, while 喿 implies a chaotic or noisy sound.

嘹 is most often used in 嘹亮 (liáo liàng) to describe a sound that is resonant, clear, and powerful — like a trumpet call, a rooster crowing, or a person singing with a strong voice. It is a more literary and positive word, not used in everyday small talk, but common in descriptions of music and nature. For example, 军号声嘹亮 (the military bugle sounds loud and clear) is a typical phrase.

Common words containing 嘹 include: 嘹亮 (liáo liàng) — resonant; loud and clear; 嘹亮地 (liáo liàng dì) — resonantly; loudly and clearly; 声音嘹亮 (shēng yīn liáo liàng) — The voice is loud and clear..