錯 means “mixed up, mistaken”

さく · saku

Also: confused, mix, be in disorder

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

サク, シャク

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 16 strokes

The story

Metal (金) and 昔, long ago: picture old gold and silver inlay, the strands crossed so finely you can't tell them apart. 錯 is things mixed up: 錯覚 is an illusion, 試行錯誤 is trial and error, and 時代錯誤 is an anachronism.

Used in 錯覚 (sakkaku, illusion), 試行錯誤 (shikousakugo, trial and error), and 時代錯誤 (jidaisakugo, anachronism)

More from Hidden & Hazy

• 謎 riddle
• 匿 hide
• 妄 delusion
• 蔽 cover
• 曖 dim
• 昧 dark
• 踪 trail
• 惑 be bewildered
• 密 secret
• 秘 secret
• 紛 mix in
• 隠 hide

Learn 錯 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.