also: だけ
Mount; Mt.; high mountain
Only with reading たけ / だけ
Most useful for learners as the mountain-name suffix 岳, read たけ or だけ depending on the name. It corresponds to English “Mount” or “Mt.” before a mountain name.
I climbed Mount Kita in the summer.
Next year I want to climb Mount Hotaka.
high mountain; mountain peak
Only with reading たけ
As an independent noun, 岳 read たけ refers to a high mountain or peak. It is less everyday than 山 and often sounds topographical, literary, or name-like.
A snow-capped peak can be seen in the distance.
峰 refers specifically to a summit or ridge with a poetic feel, whereas 岳 can denote the entire high mountain and is common in mountain names.
Standard modern kanji spelling. Read たけ as an independent noun and in some mountain-name elements.
Common as a suffixal reading in mountain names, as in 北岳（きただけ）. It is not normally used as a standalone noun.
Outdated kanji form for 岳; mainly encountered in older writing, traditional names, or stylized contexts.
The reading たけ is a native Japanese word for a high mountain or peak conventionally written 岳; だけ is the voiced suffixal reading found in some mountain names. 嶽 is an older kanji form. The deeper historical derivation of たけ is uncertain.