Level III of XX on the frequency path
Frequency rank 387 / 2,608
Frequent enough that you will keep running into it once you read past headlines.
More common than 側 (Side), less common than 師 (Teacher).
The character 首 (neck) looks like a head sitting on top of a body — the connecting part between head and torso, the neck that holds everything together.
首 is rank 387 of 2,608 in published Japanese.
Study 首 →