ear of grain

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 穂 has 15 strokes and denotes an ear or head of grain.
• Basic usage: 穂 is read ほ, and 稲穂 is read いなほ.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Types of grain heads and their count
  • In this example, 麦の穂 refers to an ear of wheat.
  • 稲穂 is an ear of rice.
  • 一本の稲穂 means one ear of rice.
  • In this example, 本 counts the long, slender ear.