How to Write 齵 (óu) — Meaning “irregular teeth”

Imagine a row of teeth (齿) that look like a mountain range (禺, which resembles peaks and valleys) — some teeth are high and some are low, making them uneven or irregular. This visual of uneven peaks helps you recall that 齵 means irregular teeth.

The left radical 齿 has 8 strokes; write the vertical stroke first, then the horizontal and bottom parts. The right component 禺 has 16 strokes; be careful to write the top '田' part with a small box before the lower '厶' and the final hook. A common mistake is making the left and right parts unbalanced — keep the teeth radical narrow and the right side slightly wider.

齵 (óu) means irregular or uneven teeth, while 齱 (zōu) refers to jagged or uneven teeth, but 齱 is more commonly used in the compound 齱齵 (zōu óu) meaning irregular or uneven together. Visually, 齵 has 禺 on the right, while 齱 has 取 (qǔ) on the right — so look for the right-side component to tell them apart.

齵 is very rare in modern Chinese and is mostly found in classical texts or specialized medical terms like 齵齿 (óu chǐ) for irregular teeth. It is not used in daily conversation; its only common appearance is in the compound 齱齵 (zōu óu), which describes general unevenness or discrepancy. Because it is obscure, learners can treat it as a character for recognition rather than active use.

Common words containing 齵 include: 齱齵 (zōu óu) — irregular; uneven; 齵齿 (óu chǐ) — irregular teeth; 齵差 (óu chà) — discrepancy; uneven.