Katakana "Ho" Coloring Pages

"Ho" as in "Whistle"

This coloring page is for learning the Katakana "Ho".
The word is "hoissuru" (whistle). On the left, there is 1 whistle and a string to hang it around your neck.
A whistle is a flute that makes a loud "peep!" sound when you put it in your mouth and blow into it.
Have you ever seen soccer referees or PE teachers using one?

Words from Other Countries

"Whistle" is an English word that means a flute (or whistle) or a whistle sound from your mouth.
Just like this, words that come from other countries are often written in katakana.
Katakana is also used for the names of animals and plants, or for sound words like "peep!"
The small "ッ" in "whistle" shows a quick pause sound.

Katakana "Ho" came from the character "保"

The Katakana "Ho" comes from the bottom-right part of the kanji 「保」.
The bottom-right of 「保」 has a shape like 「木」, and that became Katakana "Ho".
The Hiragana "ほ" also came from the very same kanji 「保」.

How to Write Katakana "Ho"

You can write Katakana "Ho" in 4 strokes.
For the 1st stroke, write a horizontal line from left to right.
For the 2nd stroke, write a vertical line from top to bottom through the middle, and finish with a flick to the left.
For the 3rd stroke, make a short dot to the bottom left, and for the 4th stroke, make one to the bottom right.
It looks best if the dots on the left and right are at about the same height on both sides of the vertical line.

Let's compare Katakana "Ho", "木", and "ネ"!

"Ho" looks a lot like the kanji "木", doesn't it?
"木" has long sweeping lines on the left and right, but Katakana "Ho" has short dots on the left and right.
Katakana "Ne" also has a vertical line and a dot, so it looks a little bit like it, too.
Try writing them side by side and compare the differences!

Let's look for words that start with Katakana "Ho"!

Words that start with "ホ" include ホタル (firefly), ホース (hose), ホテル (hotel), ホットケーキ (pancake), and ホッチキス (stapler).
"ホタル" is the name of a living thing. Words like "ホース" and "ホテル" came from other countries!

How Katakana "Ho" whistle works

When you blow into a whistle, your breath goes through a narrow path inside and hits a sharp corner.
That makes the air vibrate, and that is how the whistle makes a loud "peep" sound!
If you blow hard, it makes a big sound, and if you blow gently, it makes a small sound.
A recorder makes its sound in the same kind of way, too.

Color the big Katakana "Ho" stroke by stroke

Color the big Katakana "Ho" at the top right in your favorite colors.
It has 4 strokes. If you change the color for each stroke, like red, blue, yellow, and green, you can easily see the stroke order.
It is also nice to make the left and right dots the same color and only change the color of the vertical line.

Color the whistle in silver or bright colors

If the whistle is made of metal, color it silver or gray. If it is plastic, color it red, yellow, or blue.
If you leave a small uncolored white spot on the curved part, it will look shiny.
If you make the mouthpiece a little darker, the shape will be easier to see.

Color the string in clear, bright colors

If you pick a color for the string that is different from the whistle, like red, navy blue, or yellow-green, both of them will stand out.
Where the string overlaps, make the back part a little darker to make it look 3D.
It is also fun to draw sound marks like "Peep!" around it.

Pay attention to the hooks and dots when tracing

In the bottom right boxes, 8 light gray Katakana "Ho" are lined up.
Trace them one by one carefully with a pencil.
If you write the vertical line along the center line of the box, it will be nice and straight.
Do not forget to write the final hook and the 2 dots.

After you color

When you finish coloring, step back a little and look at it to make sure you did not miss any spots.

The Secret Behind the Trilling Sound

Some whistles have a tiny ball inside.
When you blow into it, the ball spins around inside and makes a vibrating trill sound.
There are also whistles without a ball inside.

A Whistle for Emergencies

If you get trapped somewhere during an earthquake, shouting for a long time will make you very tired.
With a whistle, you can make a loud sound with just a little breath, so it is easy to let people know you are there.
Because of this, some people attach an emergency whistle to their school bag or backpack.

A Referee's Whistle

Soccer referees use a whistle to signal the start and end of a game, or a foul.
Even on a big sports field, everyone can hear the sound of a whistle.

Whistles and Signals

Whistles can send different signals by making a short tweet or a long blast.
Lifeguards at the pool and traffic guards also use whistles.
They make a loud sound, so be sure not to blow one near anyone's ears!