Katakana "Wo" Coloring Pages

The "Wo" in "Bōru wo nageru"

The character on this coloring page is Katakana "Wo".
The phrase is "Bōru wo nageru" (Throw a ball).
This isn't just one word! It's a short sentence that says "Throw a ball," written all in Katakana.
On the left side, you can see a smiling child raising their hand high, ready to throw a ball!
Katakana "Wo" is a special character that has been used as a linking word to connect words together, just like the Hiragana "wo" in "bōru wo."

Katakana "Wo" Came from "乎"

Katakana characters were made a long time ago by taking parts of Kanji characters.
Katakana "Wo" was created from the Kanji character "乎".
The Hiragana "wo" came from the Kanji "遠," which means Hiragana "wo" and Katakana "Wo" came from different Kanji characters!
That is why they don't look very much alike.

A Character That Is Rarely Used Today

To be honest, Katakana "Wo" is hardly ever used today.
When people write "Throw a ball," they usually use the Hiragana "wo".
Also, there are almost no words that start with Katakana "Wo".
Even so, you might still see it sometimes in old documents, sentences written entirely in Katakana, or speech bubbles in manga comics!
Try to remember it as the character that sits between "Wa" and "N" on the Katakana chart.

How to Write Katakana "Wo"

You write Katakana "Wo" in 3 strokes.
It has 2 horizontal lines at the top and middle, with a stroke that sweeps down to the left from the top right.
If you write the middle horizontal line a little shorter than the top one, it will look super neat!
The trick for the sweeping line is to relax your hand and slide your pencil smoothly to the bottom left.
It looks a bit like Katakana "Ra" or "Fu," so pay close attention to how many horizontal lines it has and which way they go!

How to Read "Wo" and "O"

Today, "wo" and Katakana "Wo" are usually pronounced with the same sound as "o."
However, when you type on a computer keyboard, you type the keys "wo", which is different from "o"!
Try writing a sentence that uses both sounds, like "Onigiri wo taberu" (Eat a rice ball), to practice using them the right way!

Color Katakana "Wo" with Energetic Colors

Color the big Katakana "Wo" at the top right with energetic colors like red or orange! They match the child throwing the ball.
If you change colors for each of the 3 strokes, it is easy to see each line.
Color carefully near the edges. That keeps you from going outside the lines!

Color the Child’s Clothes Brightly

Use bright colors like yellow, light blue, or yellow-green for the child’s clothes. They are perfect for playing outside!
Color the skin with pale orange or light pink. If you add a little pink to the cheeks, the smiling face looks even cuter!
Color the hair black or brown.
Pick a different color for the shoes than the clothes. It makes the whole picture look fun!

Make the Ball Stand Out

Color the ball with bright colors like red, blue, or yellow to make it stand out.
Adding stripes or using two different colors is fun, too!
Leave a small white spot on the edge of the ball. It will make the ball look shiny and round!
If you draw grass and the sky around them, it becomes a picture of playing in the park.

Pay Attention to the Side Line Lengths When Tracing

In the boxes at the bottom right, there are 8 light gray Katakana "Wo" characters.
Use a pencil to trace slowly over the gray lines.
Notice how the top horizontal line and the middle horizontal line have different lengths.
Use the center line of the box as a guide. It helps you make all the letters the same size!
Katakana "Wo" is rare, so write each one carefully to remember it!

Old Telegrams Used Katakana

Long ago, telegrams used to deliver urgent news were written using only Katakana.
Because of that, the particle "wo" was also written in Katakana as Katakana "Wo", just like in "ボールヲナゲル" (throw a ball).
So Katakana "Wo" was a character that was used a lot back then!

Old Laws Used Katakana Too

In the past, official documents and Japanese laws were written using a mix of Kanji and Katakana.
That is why you see Katakana "Wo" many times when you read old documents.
Today's laws are written with Kanji and Hiragana, so you do not see Katakana "Wo" as much anymore.

Katakana That Stopped Being Used

A long time ago, the "W" row also had the characters "ヰ" (wi) and "ヱ" (we).
Now, these two characters are hardly used at all, and people write "イ" (i) or "エ" (e) instead.
Since Hiragana "wo" stayed as a particle, Katakana "Wo" remains on the Katakana chart too!

How to Type "を" on a Computer

When typing in Romaji on a computer, press the "W" key and then the "O" key to get "を".
If you convert it to Katakana, you can make Katakana "Wo" appear too!