木刀

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 木刀（ぼくとう） combines 木, the material wood, with 刀, sword.
• Basic usage: It names a wooden sword, appearing in the examples as a practice tool and as an object hanging on a wall.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Reading the compound
  • In this word, 木 is read ぼく and 刀 is read とう. Distinguish a compound's reading from the everyday standalone readings of its characters.
• Practice tools made from different materials
  • 木刀 is a wooden sword, while 竹刀 is a bamboo practice sword. The initial material character helps distinguish the two tools.