Katakana is used to write foreign loanwords, non-Japanese names of people and countries, and technical terms or onomatopoeia. Its shapes are sharper and more angular than hiragana. Click a character to hear it pronounced, or search for one using the box below.
Sokuon (small tsu)
A small ッ before a consonant doubles it, creating a brief pause. サッカー is "sakkaa" (soccer).
Chōonpu (long vowel mark)
Stretches the vowel sound right before it. コーヒー is "koohii" (coffee) — the ー marks each elongated vowel.
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