Pronunciation

Characters pronounced yao.

19 name characters share this pronunciation across tones. Pinyin alone does not identify a character; choose the Hanzi you want.

All 19 characters are listed below. Each links to its own page with meaning, structure, and names that use it.

耀 yào bright shine, sparkle, dazzle; glory 药 yào natural leaf of Dahurian angelica plant; medicine 要 yào necessary, essential; necessity 钥 yào key; lock 姚 yáo elegant handsome, elegant; surname 尧 yáo strong · classic a legendary ancient emperor-sage 摇 yáo wag, swing, wave; shake; scull 瑶 yáo elegant precious jade 窑 yáo kiln; coal mine pit 肴 yáo cooked or prepared meat 谣 yáo artistic sing; folksong, ballad; rumor 遥 yáo far away, distant, remote 吆 yāo bawl, yell, shout, cry out 夭 yāo strong young, fresh-looking; die young 妖 yāo strange, weird, supernatural 腰 yāo waist; kidney 邀 yāo invite, welcome; meet, intercept 咬 yǎo bite, gnaw 舀 yǎo dip, ladle; ladle

Why several characters share one pinyin

Mandarin has many homophones. Tone narrows the sound, but different characters can still share the same syllable and tone. The Hanzi is the identity; the pinyin is only the sound.

Browse all name characters or use Search to look up a character by meaning.