According to the Expanded Rhymes (Guangyun), the pronunciation is ku, and according to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), the pronunciation is ku; both are pronounced the same as qiang. The character qiang is sometimes written as a variant form derived from the radical for sheep. The bones of the body are called qiang. The Jade Chapter (Yupian) defines it as the ribs of a sheep. Additionally, according to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), the pronunciation is kong; it is pronounced the same as kong. It refers to dried sheep meat.