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缪 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
缪miàosurname Miaounknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miàoto prepare; error, mistake; attachednr, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miàoto wind roundunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miàoerroneousunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miàoold variant of 繚|缭[liao3]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miàoold variant of 穆[mu4]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪liǎosurname Miaounknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪liǎoto prepare; error, mistake; attachednr, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪liǎoto wind roundunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪liǎoerroneousunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪liǎoold variant of 繚|缭[liao3]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪liǎoold variant of 穆[mu4]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miùsurname Miaounknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miùto prepare; error, mistake; attachednr, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miùto wind roundunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miùerroneousunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miùold variant of 繚|缭[liao3]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪miùold variant of 穆[mu4]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪móusurname Miaounknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪móuto prepare; error, mistake; attachednr, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪móuto wind roundunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪móuerroneousunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪móuold variant of 繚|缭[liao3]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪móuold variant of 穆[mu4]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪mùsurname Miaounknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪mùto prepare; error, mistake; attachednr, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪mùto wind roundunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪mùerroneousunknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪mùold variant of 繚|缭[liao3]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
缪mùold variant of 穆[mu4]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 纟, rank #14701, Very Hard
liǎo(liao3)liao
primary
T3
  1. 1surname Miao
  2. 2to prepare; error, mistake; attached
Also a Chinese surname, Miao — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

缪(繆)liǎo(liao3)

The character 缪 (liǎo) primarily refers to an error or mistake, and it can also mean to prepare or be attached. Often used in literary contexts, it may denote a winding or wrapping action, and its historical variants connect to various meanings such as erroneous or mistaken.

Strokes14Radical纟Frequency#14701DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

The character 缪 has historical significance in Chinese literature and philosophy, often appearing in texts that discuss morality, ethics, and the nature of human error, reflecting the value placed on self-correction and learning from mistakes.

Memory tip

Imagine a 'mysterious' mistake (the character 缪 resembles a twisted rope) that wraps around your thoughts. Picture someone preparing to untangle this confusion, linking the character's meaning of error with its shape.

Meanings of 缪

liǎo(liao3)
primary
1to prepare; error, mistake; attached
2to wind round
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 缪 means.

About 缪

缪Simplified
繆Traditional
14Strokes
纟Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 缪

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Podcast: 缪

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AI study notes for 缪

Usage Notes

Learners may confuse 缪 with similar-sounding characters due to tonal differences, especially with the character 谬 (miù), which also means error. It is less commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for literary or formal contexts.

HSK Study Tips

Although 缪 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it appears at a higher level due to its nuanced meanings. Students should focus on the context in which it appears and its relation to other characters that convey error or mistakes.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 缪 with similar characters due to pronunciation, such as using 缪 when they mean 谬. For example, saying '我觉得这是一个缪的想法' (I think this is a mistaken idea) instead of '我觉得这是一个谬的想法' is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 缪

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Etymology of 缪

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory hint

thread

Semantic (meaning)纟
+
Phonetic (sound)翏
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

缪 = 纟 + 翏. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 缪

IDS Structure⿰纟翏
缪Full character
=
纟si1
left
翏liu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 缪?

How to say surname Miao in Chinese

“surname Miao” in Chinese is缪miào

The character 缪 (liǎo) primarily refers to an error or mistake, and it can also mean to prepare or be attached. Often used in literary contexts, it may denote a winding or wrapping action, and its historical variants connect to various meanings such as erroneous or mistaken.

When to use 缪

Learners may confuse 缪 with similar-sounding characters due to tonal differences, especially with the character 谬 (miù), which also means error. It is less commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more suitable for literary or formal contexts.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 缪 with similar characters due to pronunciation, such as using 缪 when they mean 谬. For example, saying '我觉得这是一个缪的想法' (I think this is a mistaken idea) instead of '我觉得这是一个谬的想法' is incorrect.

Write 缪

缪

Practice writing 缪 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 缪

缪 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

我马上给____顿回信安排会面。

I wrote back to Meudon at once to fix up a meeting.

Example sentences for 缪 (4)

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1
我马上给缪顿回信安排会面。

wǒ mǎshàng gěi liǎo dùn huíxìn ānpái huìmiàn。

I wrote back to Meudon at once to fix up a meeting.
2
圣巴塞洛缪医院是伦敦4个面临关闭的医院之一。

shèng Bā sāi luò liǎo yīyuàn shì lún dūn4 gè miànlín guānbì de yīyuàn zhīyī。

St Bartholomew's is one of four London hospitals facing the axe.
3
所有人都知道缪里尔命中注定要成就一番伟业。

suǒyǒu rén dōu zhīdào liǎo lǐ ěr mìng zhōng zhùdìng yào chéngjiù yīfān wěi yè。

Everyone knew that Muriel was destined for great things.
4
朱莉娅·塞缪尔是安德鲁王子的旧欢之一。

zhū lì yà· sāi liǎo ěr shì Ān dé Lǔ wángzǐ de jiù huān zhīyī。

Julia Samuel was one of Prince Andrew's old flames.

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Word Family of 缪

Words containing this character7
缪liǎoerror繆
未雨绸缪to prepare for a rainy day未雨綢繆
塞缪尔Samuel (name)塞繆爾
缪斯Muse (Greek mythology)繆斯
绸缪to be sentimentally attached to sb or sth綢繆
塞缪尔·约翰逊Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) or Dr Johnson, English writer and lexicographer塞繆爾·約翰遜
缪思Muse (Greek mythology)繆思
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 缪

What does 未雨绸缪 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 缪

No, 缪 is primarily found in written or literary contexts rather than everyday conversation.

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