Don't confuse with 航空 (aviation, the industry) and 空港 (airport, the facility) have reversed kanji and similar sound but refer to completely different things.
航空 (こうくう ) refers to aviation or air transport in general, while 航行 (こうこう ) means the act of sailing or navigating, and the two are easily confused because they share the kanji 航 and a similar sound.
Word family· 49 aircraft
airmail · air service; air transport (of goods)
airline ticket; plane ticket
airman; airwoman; aviator
aeronautical chart
Show 6 more Show fewer aeronautics; aviation science
aerial warfare; air war
airsickness
air route; airway; air corridor
flying corps; aviation unit
aviation business; air transport service
See all 49 in Explore →
Etymology Compound of 航 (こう , 'navigation, sailing') and 空 (くう , 'sky'). The combination originally referred to navigating the skies, paralleling 航海 (こうかい , 'sea navigation').
Report an issue with this page
Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.