View source for Katakana

{{Short description|Japanese syllabary}}
{{Distinguish|Katana}}
{{For|the Unicode block|Katakana (Unicode block)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox writing system
|name=Katakana
|altname={{lang|ja|片仮名}}<br />{{lang|ja-Kana|カタカナ}}
|type=[[Syllabary]]
|languages=[[Japanese language|Japanese]], [[Ryukyuan languages|Ryukyuan]], [[Hachijō language|Hachijō]], [[Ainu language|Ainu]]<ref>{{cite book |first=Thomas E. |last=McAuley |year=2001 |title=Language change in East Asia |publisher=Routledge | isbn=0700713778 |page=90}}</ref><br/>[[Taiwanese Hokkien]], [[Hakka Chinese|Hakka]], [[Palauan language|Palauan]] (formerly)
|time={{circa|800}}{{snd}}present
|fam1=[[Oracle bone script]]
|fam2=[[Seal script]]
|fam3=[[Clerical script]]
|fam4=[[Regular script]] ([[kanji]])
|fam5=[[Man'yōgana]]
|sisters=[[Hiragana]], [[Hentaigana]]
|sample=Japanese Katakana kyokashotai KA.svg
|unicode = {{blist
|Katakana: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U30A0.pdf U+30A0–U+30FF] 
|Katakana Phonetic Extensions: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U31F0.pdf U+31F0–U+31FF]
|Enclosed CJK Letters and Months: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U3200.pdf U+3200–U+32FF]
|Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/UFF00.pdf U+FF00–U+FFEF]
|Kana Extended-B: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1AFF0.pdf U+1AFF0–U+1AFFF] 
|Kana Supplement: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1B000.pdf U+1B000–U+1B0FF] 
|Kana Extended-A: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1B100.pdf U+1B100–U+1B12F] 
|Small Kana Extension: [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1B130.pdf U+1B130–U+1B16F] 
}}
|imagesize=100px
|iso15924=Kana
}}
{{Japanese writing}}

{{Nihongo|'''Katakana'''|[[wikt:片仮名|片仮名]], [[wikt:カタカナ|カタカナ]]||{{IPA|ja|katakaꜜna, kataꜜkana|IPA}}}} is a Japanese [[syllabary]], one component of the [[Japanese writing system]] along with [[hiragana]],<ref>Roy Andrew Miller (1966) ''A Japanese Reader: Graded Lessons in the Modern Language'', Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo, Japan, p.&nbsp;28, Lesson 7: Katakana: ''a—no''. "Side by side with hiragana, modern Japanese writing makes use of another complete set of similar symbols called the katakana."</ref> [[kanji]] and in some cases the [[Latin script]] (known as [[rōmaji]]).

The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived from components or fragments of more complex kanji. Katakana and hiragana are both [[kana]] systems. With one or two minor exceptions, each syllable (strictly [[mora (linguistics)|mora]]) in the Japanese language is represented by one character or ''kana'' in each system. Each kana represents either a vowel such as "''a''" (katakana [[wikt:ア|ア]]); a consonant followed by a vowel such as "''ka''" (katakana [[wikt:カ|カ]]); or "''n''" (katakana [[wikt:ン|ン]]), a [[nasal stop|nasal]] [[sonorant]] which, depending on the context, sounds like English ''m'', ''n'' or ''ng'' ({{IPAblink|ŋ}}) or like the [[nasal vowel]]s of [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] or [[Galician language|Galician]].<ref>Vance, Timothy J. (1987). ''An Introduction to Japanese Phonology''. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-88706-360-2.</ref>

In contrast to the hiragana syllabary, which is used for Japanese words not covered by kanji and for grammatical inflections, the katakana syllabary usage is comparable to [[Italic type|italics]] in English; specifically, it is used for [[Transcription into Japanese|transcription]] of foreign-language words into [[transcription into Japanese|Japanese]] and the writing of [[loan word]]s (collectively ''[[gairaigo]]''); for emphasis; to represent [[onomatopoeia]]; for technical and scientific terms; and for names of plants, animals, minerals and often Japanese companies.

Katakana evolved from [[buddhism in Japan|Japanese Buddhist monks]] transliterating Chinese texts into Japanese.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How did katakana and hiragana originate? |url=https://www.sljfaq.org/afaq/originofkana.html#:~:text=The%20katakana%20are%20based%20on%20parts%20of%20kanji.,form%20of%20writing%20date%20to%20around%20951%20AD. |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.sljfaq.org}}</ref>

==Writing system==

=== Overview ===
{| align=right border="0" cellpadding="0" style="width: 14em; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom:1em"
|-
|
{| class="wikitable" 
|+ Katakana ''gojūon''
!
! ''a'' !! ''i'' !! ''u'' !! ''e'' !! ''o''
|- align=center
!title="no onset"|{{color|gray|∅}}
|<big>[[A (kana)|ア]]</big>||<big>[[I (kana)|イ]]</big>||<big>[[U (kana)|ウ]]</big>||<big>[[E (kana)|エ]]</big>||<big>[[O (kana)|オ]]</big>
|- align=center
!''k''
|<big>[[Ka (kana)|カ]]</big>||<big>[[Ki (kana)|キ]]</big>||<big>[[Ku (kana)|ク]]</big>||<big>[[Ke (kana)|ケ]]</big>||<big>[[Ko (kana)|コ]]</big>
|- align=center
!''s''
|<big>[[Sa (kana)|サ]]</big>||<big>[[Shi (kana)|シ]]</big>||<big>[[Su (kana)|ス]]</big>||<big>[[Se (kana)|セ]]</big>||<big>[[So (kana)|ソ]]</big>
|- align=center
!''t''
|<big>[[Ta (kana)|タ]]</big>||<big>[[Chi (kana)|チ]]</big>||<big>[[Tsu (kana)|ツ]]</big>||<big>[[Te (kana)|テ]]</big>||<big>[[To (kana)|ト]]</big>
|- align=center
!''n''
|<big>[[Na (kana)|ナ]]</big>||<big>[[Ni (kana)|ニ]]</big>||<big>[[Nu (kana)|ヌ]]</big>||<big>[[Ne (kana)|ネ]]</big>||<big>[[No (kana)|ノ]]</big>
|- align=center
!''h''
|<big>[[Ha (kana)|ハ]]</big>||<big>[[Hi (kana)|ヒ]]</big>||<big>[[Fu (kana)|フ]]</big>||<big>[[He (kana)|ヘ]]</big>||<big>[[Ho (kana)|ホ]]</big>
|- align=center
!''m''
|<big>[[Ma (kana)|マ]]</big>||<big>[[Mi (kana)|ミ]]</big>||<big>[[Mu (kana)|ム]]</big>||<big>[[Me (kana)|メ]]</big>||<big>[[Mo (kana)|モ]]</big>
|- align=center
!''y''
|<big>[[Ya (kana)|ヤ]]</big>|| <ref name=":0">See [[#Obsolete kana|obsolete kana]]</ref> ||<big>[[Yu (kana)|ユ]]</big>|| <ref name=":0"/> ||<big>[[Yo (kana)|ヨ]]</big>
|- align=center
!''r''
|<big>[[Ra (kana)|ラ]]</big>|||<big>[[Ri (kana)|リ]]</big>||<big>[[Ru (kana)|ル]]</big>||<big>[[Re (kana)|レ]]</big>||<big>[[Ro (kana)|ロ]]</big>
|- align=center
!''w''
|<big>[[Wa (kana)|ワ]]</big>||<big>[[Wi (kana)|ヰ]]</big>|| <ref name=":0"/> ||<big>[[We (kana)|ヱ]]</big>||<big>[[Wo (kana)|ヲ]]</big>
|- align=center
| colspan="6" | <big>[[ン]]</big> '''(''n'')'''
|}
|}
The complete katakana script consists of 48 characters, not counting functional and diacritic marks:
* 5 ''[[syllable nucleus|nucleus]]'' vowels 
* 42 [[syllable core|''core'' or ''body'']] ([[syllable onset|onset]]-nucleus) syllabograms, consisting of nine consonants in combination with each of the five vowels, of which three possible combinations (''yi'', ''ye'', ''wu'') are not canonical
* 1 ''[[syllable coda|coda]]'' consonant

These are conceived as a 5×10 grid ({{Lang|ja-latn|gojūon}}, 五十音, literally "fifty sounds"), as shown in the adjacent table, read {{nowrap|ア (''a'')}}, {{nowrap|イ (''i'')}}, {{nowrap|ウ (''u'')}}, {{nowrap|エ (''e'')}}, {{nowrap|オ (''o'')}}, {{nowrap|カ (''ka'')}}, {{nowrap|キ (''ki'')}}, {{nowrap|ク (''ku'')}}, {{nowrap|ケ (''ke'')}}, {{nowrap|コ (''ko'')}} and so on. The {{Lang|ja-latn|gojūon}} inherits its vowel and consonant order from [[Sanskrit]] practice. In [[Horizontal and vertical writing in East Asian scripts|vertical text]] contexts, which used to be the default case, the grid is usually presented as 10 columns by 5 rows, with vowels on the right hand side and ア (''a'') on top. Katakana [[glyph]]s in the same row or column do not share common graphic characteristics. Three of the [[syllabogram]]s to be expected, ''yi'', ''ye'' and ''wu'', may have been used idiosyncratically with varying [[glyph]]s, but never became conventional in any language and are not present at all in modern Japanese.

The 50-sound table is often amended with an extra character, the nasal ン (''n''). This can appear in several positions, most often next to the ''N'' signs or, because it developed from one of many ''mu'' [[hentaigana]], below the ''u'' column. It may also be appended to the vowel row or the ''a'' column. Here, it is shown in a table of its own.

The script includes two diacritic marks placed at the upper right of the base character that change the initial sound of a syllabogram. A double dot, called ''[[dakuten]]'', indicates a primary alteration; most often it voices the consonant: ''k''→''g'', ''s''→''z'', ''t''→''d'' and ''h''→''b''; for example, {{nowrap|カ (''ka'')}} becomes {{nowrap|ガ (''ga'')}}. Secondary alteration, where possible, is shown by a circular ''[[handakuten]]'': ''h''→''p''; For example; {{nowrap|ハ (''ha'')}} becomes {{nowrap|パ (''pa'')}}. Diacritics, though used for over a thousand years, only became mandatory in the Japanese writing system in the second half of the 20th century. Their application is strictly limited in proper writing systems,{{clarify|reason = 'Strictly limited' in what sense? 'Proper' in what sense? |date=September 2016}} but may be more extensive in academic transcriptions.

Furthermore, some characters have different readings when printed at a smaller size after a full-sized kana or kanji (see below), but this is not a case of being [[Bicameral script|bicameral]].

The layout of the {{Lang|ja-latn|gojūon}} table promotes a systematic view of kana syllabograms as being always pronounced with the same single consonant followed by a vowel, but this is not exactly the case (and never has been). Existing schemes for the [[romanization of Japanese]] either are based on the systematic nature of the script, e.g. [[nihon-shiki]] チ ''ti'', or they apply some Western [[graphotactics]], usually the English one, to the common Japanese pronunciation of the kana signs, e.g. [[Hepburn-shiki]] チ ''chi''. Both approaches conceal the fact, though, that many consonant-based katakana signs, especially those canonically ending in ''u'', can be used in coda position, too, where the vowel is [[unvoiced]] and therefore barely perceptible.

=== Japanese ===

==== Syllabary and orthography ====
{| align=right style="margin-left:1em;"
|-
|
{| class="wikitable" style="vertical-align:top; padding:2px; text-align:center;"
|+ Katakana used in Japanese orthography
|-
!
! ''a'' !! ''i'' !! ''u'' !! ''e'' !! ''o''
|-
! title="No onset" | ∅
| <big>[[ア]]</big> || <big>[[イ]]</big> ||<big>[[ウ]]</big>||<big>[[エ]]</big>||<big>[[オ]]</big>
|-
! ''k''
|<big>[[カ]]</big>||<big>[[キ]]</big>||<big>[[ク]]</big>||<big>[[ケ]]</big>||<big>[[コ]]</big>
|-
! ''g''
|<big>ガ</big>||<big>ギ</big>||<big>グ</big>||<big>ゲ</big>||<big>ゴ</big>
|-
! ''s''
|<big>[[サ]]</big>||<big>[[シ]]</big>||<big>[[ス]]</big>||<big>[[セ]]</big>||<big>[[ソ]]</big>
|-
! ''z''
|<big>ザ</big>||<big>ジ</big>||<big>ズ</big>||<big>ゼ</big>||<big>ゾ</big>
|-
! ''t''
|<big>[[タ]]</big>||<big>[[チ]]</big>||<big>[[ツ]]</big>||<big>[[テ]]</big>||<big>[[ト]]</big>
|-
! ''d''
|<big>ダ</big>||<big>ヂ</big>||<big>ヅ</big>||<big>デ</big>||<big>ド</big>
|-
! ''n''
|<big>[[ナ]]</big>||<big>[[ニ]]</big>||<big>[[ヌ]]</big>||<big>[[ネ]]</big>||<big>[[ノ]]</big>
|-
! ''h''
|<big>[[ハ]]</big>||<big>[[ヒ]]</big>||<big>[[フ]]</big>||<big>[[ヘ]]</big>||<big>[[ホ]]</big>
|-
! ''b''
|<big>バ</big>||<big>ビ</big>||<big>ブ</big>||<big>ベ</big>||<big>ボ</big>
|-
! ''p''
|<big>パ</big>||<big>ピ</big>||<big>プ</big>||<big>ペ</big>||<big>ポ</big>
|-
! ''m''
|<big>[[マ]]</big>||<big>[[ミ]]</big>||<big>[[ム]]</big>||<big>[[メ]]</big>||<big>[[モ]]</big>
|-
! ''y''
|<big>[[ヤ]]</big>||{{N/A|<ref name=":0"/>}}||<big>[[ユ]]</big>||{{N/A|<ref name=":0"/>}}||<big>[[ヨ]]</big>
|-
! ''r''
|<big>[[ラ]]</big>||<big>[[リ]]</big>||<big>[[ル]]</big>||<big>[[レ]]</big>||<big>[[ロ]]</big>
|-
! ''w''
|<big>[[ワ]]</big>||{{N/A|<big>[[ヰ]]</big>}}||{{N/A|<ref name=":0"/>}}||{{N/A|<big>[[ヱ]]</big>}}||<big>[[ヲ]]</big>
|-
| colspan="6" | <big>[[ン]]</big> '''(''n'')'''
|-
! colspan="6" | Functional marks <br>and diacritics
|-
|<big>[[ッ]]</big>||<big>[[ヽ]]</big>|| colspan="2" |<big>[[dakuten|゛]]</big>|| colspan="2" |<big>[[dakuten|゜]]</big>
|}
|-
| {{Color box|#ececec|border=darkgray}} Unused, extinct, or obsolete
|}

Of the 48 katakana syllabograms described above, only 46 are used in modern Japanese, and one of these is preserved for only a single use:
* ''wi'' and ''we'' are pronounced as vowels in modern Japanese and are therefore obsolete, having been supplanted by ''i'' and ''e'', respectively.
* ''wo'' is now used only as a [[Japanese particles|particle]], and is normally pronounced the same as vowel オ ''o''. As a particle, it is usually written in hiragana (を) and the katakana form, ヲ, is almost obsolete.

A small version of the katakana for ''ya'', ''yu'' or ''yo'' (ャ, ュ or ョ, respectively) may be added to katakana ending in ''i''. This changes the ''i'' vowel sound to a glide ([[Palatalization (phonetics)|palatalization]]) to ''a'', ''u'' or ''o'', e.g. キャ (''ki + ya'') /kja/. Addition of the small ''y'' kana is called [[yōon]].

A character called a ''[[sokuon]]'', which is visually identical to a small ''tsu'' ッ, indicates that the following consonant is [[gemination|geminated]] (doubled). This is represented in rōmaji by doubling the consonant that follows the ''sokuon''. In Japanese this is an important distinction in pronunciation; for example, compare サカ ''saka'' "hill" with サッカ ''sakka'' "author"<!-- (these examples are for illustration, but in practice, these words would normally be written in kanji)-->. Geminated consonants are common in transliterations of foreign loanwords; for example, English "bed" is represented as ベッド (''beddo''). The sokuon also sometimes appears at the end of utterances, where it denotes a [[glottal stop]]. However, it cannot be used to double the ''na'', ''ni'', ''nu'', ''ne'', ''no'' syllables' consonants; to double these, the singular ''n'' (ン) is added in front of the syllable. The ''sokuon'' may also be used to approximate a non-native sound: Bach is written {{nihongo2|バッハ}} (''Bahha''); Mach as {{nihongo2|マッハ}} (''Mahha'').

Both katakana and hiragana usually spell native [[long vowel]]s with the addition of a second vowel kana. However, in foreign loanwords, katakana instead uses a vowel extender mark, called a ''[[chōonpu]]'' ("long vowel mark"). This is a short line (ー) following the direction of the text, horizontal for [[Yokogaki and tategaki|''yokogaki'']] (horizontal text), and vertical for [[Yokogaki and tategaki|''tategaki'']] (vertical text). For example, メール ''mēru'' is the ''gairaigo'' for e-mail taken from the English word "mail"; the ー lengthens the ''e''. There are some exceptions, such as {{nihongo2|ローソク}} ({{nihongo3|"candle"|蝋燭|rōsoku}}) or {{nihongo2|ケータイ}}({{nihongo3|"mobile phone"|携帯|kētai}}), where Japanese words written in katakana use the [[Chōonpu|elongation mark]], too.

Standard and voiced [[Iteration mark#Japanese|iteration marks]] are written in katakana as ヽ and ヾ, respectively.

===== Extensions =====
Small versions of the five vowel kana are sometimes used to represent trailing off sounds (ハァ ''haa'', ネェ ''nee''). More often, they are used in katakana as [[Yōon]]-like extended digraphs, for [[Transcription_into_Japanese#Extended_katakana|transcribing into Japanese]] a syllable (or mora) that cannot be written with standard katakana. This is especially common for transcribing [[loanword|loanwords]] such as チェ (''che'') in チェンジ ''chenji'' ("change"), ファ (''fa'') in ファミリー ''famirī'' ("family") and ウィ (''wi'') and ディ (''di'') in ウィキペディア ''Wikipedia''; [[#Extended katakana|see below]] for the full list.

====Usage====
{{main|Japanese writing system}}
[[File:Myoe_Shonin_Kashu.jpg|thumb|Collection of poems by priest [[Myōe]], 1248]]

In modern Japanese, katakana is most often used for transcription of words from foreign languages or loanwords (other than words historically imported from Chinese), called ''gairaigo''.<ref name="Contemporary Japanese' 1993, page 29">"The Japanese Writing System (2) Katakana", p. 29 in ''Yookoso! An Invitation to Contemporary Japanese''. McGraw-Hill, 1993, {{ISBN|0070722935}}</ref> For example, "ice cream" is written {{Nihongo krt||アイスクリーム|aisukurīmu}}. Similarly, katakana is usually used for country names, foreign places, and foreign personal names. For example, the United States is usually referred to as {{Nihongo krt||アメリカ|Amerika}}, rather than in its [[ateji]] kanji spelling of {{Nihongo krt||亜米利加|Amerika}}.

Katakana are also used for onomatopoeia,<ref name="Contemporary Japanese' 1993, page 29"/> words used to represent sounds – for example, {{Nihongo krt||ピンポン|pinpon}}, the "ding-dong" sound of a doorbell.

Technical and scientific terms, such as the names of animal and plant species and minerals, are also commonly written in katakana.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japanesewordswriting.com/|title=Hiragana, Katakana & Kanji|date=8 September 2010|publisher=Japanese Word Characters|access-date=15 October 2011}}</ref> ''Homo sapiens'', as a species, is written {{Nihongo krt||ヒト|hito}}, rather than its kanji {{nihongo2|人}}.

Katakana are often (but not always) used for transcription of Japanese company names. For example, [[Suzuki]] is written {{lang|ja|スズキ}}, and [[Toyota]] is written {{lang|ja|トヨタ}}. As these are common family names, Suzuki being the second most common in Japan,<ref name="japan2">{{cite press release
 | title = 明治安田生命 全国同姓調査 [''Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company – National same family name investigation'']
 | publisher = [[Meiji Yasuda Life|Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company]]
 | date = 2008-09-24
 | url = http://www.meijiyasuda.co.jp/profile/release/2008/pdf/20080924.pdf
 | access-date = 2018-05-24
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120117124916/http://www.meijiyasuda.co.jp/profile/release/2008/pdf/20080924.pdf
 | archive-date = 17 January 2012
 | url-status = dead
 }}</ref> using katakana helps distinguish company names from surnames in writing. Katakana are commonly used on signs, advertisements, and hoardings (i.e., [[billboard (advertising)|billboards]]), for example, {{nihongo krt|"here"|ココ|koko}}, {{nihongo krt|"trash"|ゴミ|gomi}}, or {{nihongo krt|"glasses"|メガネ|megane}}. Words the writer wishes to emphasize in a sentence are also sometimes written in katakana, mirroring the usage of [[italics]] in European languages.<ref name="Contemporary Japanese' 1993, page 29"/>

Pre–World War II official documents mix katakana and kanji in the same way that hiragana and kanji are mixed in modern Japanese texts, that is, katakana were used for ''[[okurigana]]'' and particles such as ''wa'' or ''o''.

Katakana was also used for [[Wabun code|telegrams in Japan]] before 1988, and for computer systems – before the introduction of multibyte characters – in the 1980s. Most computers of that era [[JIS X 0201|used katakana]] instead of kanji or hiragana for output.

Although words borrowed from ancient [[Chinese language|Chinese]] are usually written in kanji, loanwords from modern Chinese varieties that are borrowed directly use katakana instead.

{|class="wikitable"
|+ Examples of modern Chinese loanwords in Japanese
! Japanese !!title="Hepburn romanization of Japanese kana"| [[Hepburn romanisation|Hepburn]] !! Meaning !! Chinese !!title="modern Hànyǔ Pīnyīn romanization of Chinese Hanzi"| [[Pinyin]]/[[Yale romanisation of Cantonese|Yale]] !! Source language
|-
|{{Lang|ja|マージャン}}||''mājan''||[[mahjong]]||{{Lang|zh-hant|麻將}}||''májiàng''||rowspan=3|[[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]
|-
|{{Lang|ja|ウーロン茶}}||''ūroncha''||[[Oolong]] tea||{{Lang|zh-hant|烏龍茶}}||''wūlóngchá''
|-
|{{Lang|ja|チャーハン}}||''chāhan''||[[fried rice]]||{{Lang|zh-hant|炒飯}}||''chǎofàn''
|-
|{{Lang|ja|チャーシュー}}||''chāshū''||barbecued pork||{{Lang|zh-hant|叉燒}}||''[[Char siu|chā sīu]]''||rowspan=2|[[Cantonese]]
|-
|{{Lang|ja|シューマイ}}||''shūmai''||[[shumai]]||{{Lang|zh-hant|燒賣}}||''sīu máai''
|}

The very common Chinese loanword ''[[ramen|rāmen]]'', written in katakana as {{lang|ja|ラーメン}}, is rarely written with its kanji ({{lang|ja|拉麺}}).

There are rare instances where the opposite has occurred, with kanji forms created from words originally written in katakana. An example of this is {{lang|ja|コーヒー}} ''kōhī'', ("[[coffee]]"), which can alternatively be written as {{lang|ja|珈琲}}. This kanji usage is occasionally employed by coffee manufacturers or coffee shops for novelty.

Katakana is used to indicate the ''on'yomi'' (Chinese-derived readings) of a kanji in a [[kanji dictionary]]. For instance, the kanji 人 has a Japanese pronunciation, written in hiragana as {{lang|ja|ひと}} ''hito'' (person), as well as a Chinese derived pronunciation, written in katakana as {{lang|ja|ジン}} ''jin'' (used to denote groups of people). Katakana is sometimes used instead of hiragana as [[furigana]] to give the pronunciation of a word written in Roman characters, or for a foreign word, which is written as kanji for the meaning, but intended to be pronounced as the original.

[[File:キリ走行注意 (19822048951).jpg|thumb|In this travel warning, the kanji for "fog" ({{lang|ja|霧}}) has been written in katakana ({{lang|ja|キリ}}) to make it more immediately readable.]]

Katakana are also sometimes used to indicate words being spoken in a foreign or otherwise unusual accent. For example, in a [[manga]], the speech of a foreign character or a robot may be represented by {{lang|ja|コンニチワ}} ''konnichiwa'' ("hello") instead of the more typical hiragana {{lang|ja|こんにちは}}. Some [[Japanese names|Japanese personal names]] are written in katakana. This was more common in the past, hence elderly women often have katakana names. This was particularly common among women in the [[Meiji Restoration|Meiji]] and [[Taishō period|Taishō]] periods, when many poor, illiterate parents were unwilling to pay a scholar to give their daughters names in kanji.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tackett|first1=Rachel|title=Why old Japanese women have names in katakana|url=http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/09/19/why-old-japanese-women-have-names-in-katakana/|website=RocketNews24|access-date=19 September 2015|archive-date=10 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910082557/http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/09/19/why-old-japanese-women-have-names-in-katakana/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Katakana is also used to denote the fact that a character is speaking a foreign language, and what is displayed in katakana is only the Japanese "translation" of their words.

Some frequently used words may also be written in katakana in dialogs to convey an informal, conversational tone. Some examples include {{lang|ja|マンガ}} ("manga"), {{lang|ja|アイツ}} ''aitsu'' ("that guy or girl; he/him; she/her"), {{lang|ja|バカ}} ''baka'' ("fool"), etc.

Words with difficult-to-read kanji are sometimes written in katakana (hiragana is also used for this purpose). This phenomenon is often seen with [[medical terminology]]. For example, in the word {{lang|ja|皮膚科}} ''hifuka'' ("[[dermatology]]"), the second kanji, {{lang|ja|膚}}, is considered difficult to read, and thus the word ''hifuka'' is commonly written {{lang|ja|皮フ科}} or {{lang|ja|ヒフ科}}, mixing kanji and katakana. Similarly, difficult-to-read kanji such as {{lang|ja|癌}} ''gan'' ("[[cancer]]") are often written in katakana or hiragana.

Katakana is also used for traditional musical notations, as in the ''Tozan-[[ryu (school)|ryū]]'' of ''[[shakuhachi]]'', and in ''[[sankyoku]]'' ensembles with ''[[koto (musical instrument)|koto]]'', ''[[shamisen]]'' and ''shakuhachi''.

Some instructors teaching Japanese as a foreign language "introduce ''katakana'' after the students have learned to read and write sentences in ''hiragana'' without difficulty and know the rules."<ref>Mutsuko Endo Simon (1984) Section 3.3 "Katakana", p. 36 in  ''A Practical Guide for Teachers of Elementary Japanese'', Center for Japanese Studies, the [[University of Michigan]]. {{ISBN|0939512165}}</ref> Most students who have learned hiragana "do not have great difficulty in memorizing" katakana as well.<ref>Simon, p. 36</ref> Other instructors introduce katakana first, because these are used with loanwords. This gives students a chance to practice reading and writing kana with meaningful words. This was the approach taken by the influential American linguistics scholar [[Eleanor Harz Jorden]] in ''[[Japanese: The Written Language]]'' (parallel to ''[[Japanese: The Spoken Language]]'').<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070318020645/http://www.joyo96.org/96K/Lesson_1.html Reading Japanese, Lesson 1]. joyo96.org</ref>[[File:Meiji_Kenpo01.jpg|thumb|300px|left|A page of the [[Meiji Constitution]] written exclusively with [[kyūjitai]] and katakana]]

=== Ainu ===
{{Main|Ainu language#Writing}}

Katakana is commonly used by Japanese linguists to write the [[Ainu language]]. In Ainu katakana usage, the consonant that comes at the end of a syllable is represented by a small version of a katakana that corresponds to that final consonant followed by a vowel (for details of which vowel, please see the table at [[Ainu language#Special_katakana_for_the_Ainu_language|Ainu language § Special katakana for the Ainu language]]). For instance, the Ainu word {{translit|ain|up}} is represented by {{lang|ain|ウㇷ゚}} ({{lang|ain|ウ<small>プ</small>}} [''u'' followed by small ''pu'']). Ainu also uses three handakuten modified katakana: {{lang|ain|セ゚}} ({{IPA|[tse]}}) and either {{lang|ain|ツ゚}} or {{lang|ain|ト゚}} ({{IPA|[tu̜]}}). In Unicode, the Katakana Phonetic Extensions block ([https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U31F0.pdf U+31F0–U+31FF]) exists for Ainu language support. These characters are used for the Ainu language only.

=== Taiwanese ===
{{Main|Taiwanese kana}}

'''Taiwanese kana''' (タイ[[File:U+1AFF3.svg|15px]] ヲァヌ[[File:U+1AFF3.svg|15px]] ギイ[[File:Taiwanese kana normal tone 2.png|15px]] カア[[File:Taiwanese kana normal tone 2.png|15px]] ビェン[[File:U+1AFF3.svg|15px]]) is a katakana-based writing system once used to write [[Taiwanese Hokkien]] while [[Taiwan]] was [[Taiwan under Japanese rule|under Japanese rule]]. It functioned as a phonetic guide for [[Chinese characters]], much like [[furigana]] in Japanese or [[pinyin]] in [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]. There were similar systems for other languages in Taiwan as well, including [[Hakka Chinese|Hakka]] and [[Formosan languages]].

Unlike Japanese or Ainu, Taiwanese kana uses a methodology similar to [[bopomofo]], with kana serving as initials, vowel medials and consonant finals, marked with tonal marks. A dot below the initial kana represents aspirated consonants, and チ, ツ, サ, セ, ソ, ウ and オ with a superpositional bar represent sounds found only in Taiwanese.

=== Okinawan ===
{{Main|Okinawan scripts}}

Katakana is used as a phonetic guide for the [[Okinawan language]], unlike the various other systems to represent Okinawan, which use hiragana with extensions. The system was devised by the Okinawa Center of Language Study of the [[University of the Ryukyus]]. It uses many extensions and yōon to show the many non-Japanese sounds of Okinawan.
<!-- Removed link: [http://ryukyu-lang.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/srnh/sign.html Okinawa Center of Language Study] -->

== Table of katakana==

This is a table of katakana together with their [[Hepburn romanization]] and rough [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] transcription for their use in Japanese. Katakana with ''dakuten'' or ''handakuten'' follow the ''gojūon'' kana without them.

Characters {{translit|ja|shi}} {{lang|ja|シ}}, {{translit|ja|tsu}} {{lang|ja|ツ}}, {{translit|ja|so}} {{lang|ja|ソ}}, and {{translit|ja|n}} {{lang|ja|ン}} look very similar in print except for the slant and stroke shape. These differences in slant and shape are more prominent when written with an [[ink brush]].

{{Katakana table}}

===Extended katakana===
Using small versions of the five vowel kana, many digraphs have been devised, mainly to represent the sounds in words of other languages. 

Digraphs with <span style="background:#fc9;">orange</span> backgrounds are the general ones used for loanwords or foreign places or names, and those with <span style="background:#9cf;">blue</span> backgrounds are used for more accurate transliterations of foreign sounds, both suggested by the [[Cabinet of Japan]]'s [[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/nc/k19910628002/k19910628002.html|title=平成3年6月28日内閣告示第2号:外来語の表記|trans-title=Japanese cabinet order No.2 (28 June 1991):The notation of loanword|author=Cabinet of Japan|publisher=[[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology]]|access-date=25 May 2011|author-link=Cabinet of Japan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106125953/http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/nc/k19910628002/k19910628002.html|archive-date=6 January 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Katakana combinations with <span style="background:#eee8aa;">yellow</span> backgrounds are suggested by the [[American National Standards Institute]]<ref name="ansi">{{cite web|url=http://www.ab.cyberhome.ne.jp/~kaizu/roomazi/doc/ansiz3911.html |title=米国規格(ANSI Z39.11-1972)―要約 |access-date=27 February 2016 }}{{self-published source|date=February 2016}}</ref> and the [[BSI Group|British Standards Institution]] as possible uses.<ref name="bs">{{cite web|url=http://www.ab.cyberhome.ne.jp/~kaizu/roomazi/doc/bs4812.html |title=英国規格(BS 4812 : 1972)―要約 |access-date=27 February 2016 }}{{self-published source|date=February 2016}}</ref> Ones with <span style="background:#e1a1ff;">purple</span> backgrounds appear on the 1974 version of the Hyōjun-shiki formatting.<ref name="hyouzyunC">{{cite web|url=http://www.ab.cyberhome.ne.jp/~kaizu/roomazi/doc/hyouzyunC.html |title=標準式ローマ字つづり―引用 |access-date=27 February 2016}}{{self-published source|date=February 2016}}</ref>

Pronunciations are shown in [[Hepburn romanization]].

{| border="0" style="width:80%;" cellpadding="2px" cellspacing="2px"
|
|
| -a
| -ya
| -i
| -u
| -yu
| -e
| -o
| -yo
|- style="vertical-align:center; background:#9cf; text-align:center;"
|i-
|
| colspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
| style="background:#e1a1ff;" | {{lang|ja|イィ}} {{translit|ja|yi}}
| colspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
| {{lang|ja|イェ}} {{translit|ja|ye}}
| colspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
| rowspan="5" |u-
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|ウァ}} {{translit|ja|wa}}{{Efn|name=rare w|group=n}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;"|{{lang|ja|ウャ}} {{translit|ja|wya}} 
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ウィ}} {{translit|ja|wi}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#e1a1ff;" | {{lang|ja|ウゥ}} {{translit|ja|wu}}{{Efn|name=rare w|group=n}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#eee8aa;"|{{lang|ja|ウュ}} {{translit|ja|wyu}} 
| {{lang|ja|ウェ}} {{translit|ja|we}}
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ウォ}} {{translit|ja|wo}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |{{lang|ja|ウョ}} {{translit|ja|wyo}} 
|- style="vertical-align:center; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
| {{lang|ja|ウィェ}} {{translit|ja|wye}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#9cf; text-align:center;"
| rowspan="2" |{{lang|ja|ヴ}} {{translit|ja|vu}}{{Efn|name=rare v|group=n}}
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ヴァ}} {{translit|ja|va}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#eee8aa;"|{{lang|ja|ヴャ}} {{translit|ja|vya}} 
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ヴィ}} {{translit|ja|vi}}
| rowspan="2" | -
| rowspan="2" |{{lang|ja|ヴュ}} {{translit|ja|vyu}}
| {{lang|ja|ヴェ}} {{translit|ja|ve}}
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ヴォ}} {{translit|ja|vo}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#eee8aa;"|{{lang|ja|ヴョ}} {{translit|ja|vyo}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}} 
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#eee8aa; text-align:center;"
| {{lang|ja|ヴィェ}} {{translit|ja|vye}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|{{lang|ja|ウ゚}} {{translit|ja|n}}{{Efn|name=nasal u}}
| colspan="8" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|ki-
| colspan="6" |
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|キェ}} {{translit|ja|kye}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}}
| colspan="2" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|gi-
| colspan="6" |
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|ギェ}} {{translit|ja|gye}}
| colspan="2" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#9cf; text-align:center;"
| rowspan="2" |ku-
| rowspan="2" |
| {{lang|ja|クァ}} {{translit|ja|kwa}}
| rowspan="2" |
| {{lang|ja|クィ}} {{translit|ja|kwi}}{{Efn|name=Slavic wi|group=n}}
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
| {{lang|ja|クェ}} {{translit|ja|kwe}}
| {{lang|ja|クォ}} {{translit|ja|kwo}}
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#9cf; text-align:center;"
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|クヮ}} {{translit|ja|kwa}}
| colspan="6" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#eee8aa; text-align:center;"
| rowspan="2" |gu-
| rowspan="2" |
| style="background:#9cf;" | {{lang|ja|グァ}} {{translit|ja|gwa}}
|
| {{lang|ja|グィ}} {{translit|ja|gwi}}{{Efn|name=Slavic wi|group=n}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}}
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
| {{lang|ja|グェ}} {{translit|ja|gwe}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}}
| {{lang|ja|グォ}} {{translit|ja|gwo}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}}
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|グヮ}} {{translit|ja|gwa}}
| colspan="7" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|k-
|
| {{lang|ja|カ゚}} {{translit|ja|nga}}{{Efn|name=bidakuon}}
|
| {{lang|ja|キ゚}} {{translit|ja|ngi}}{{Efn|name=bidakuon}}
| {{lang|ja|ク゚}} {{translit|ja|ngu}}{{Efn|name=bidakuon}}
|
| {{lang|ja|ケ゚}} {{translit|ja|nge}}{{Efn|name=bidakuon}}
| {{lang|ja|コ゚}} {{translit|ja|ngo}}{{Efn|name=bidakuon}}
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|shi-
| colspan="6" |
| style="background:#fc9;" | {{lang|ja|シェ}} {{translit|ja|she}}
| colspan="2" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|chi-
| colspan="6" |
| style="background:#fc9;" | {{lang|ja|チェ}} {{translit|ja|che}}
| colspan="2" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|ji-
| colspan="6" |
| style="background:#fc9;" | {{lang|ja|ジェ}} {{translit|ja|je}}
| colspan="2" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|dji-
| colspan="6" |
| style="background:#e1a1ff;" | {{lang|ja|ヂェ}} {{translit|ja|je}}
| colspan="2" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|su-
| colspan="3" |
| style="background:#e1a1ff;" | {{lang|ja|スィ}} {{translit|ja|si}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}}
| colspan="5" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#fc9; text-align:center;"
| rowspan="2" |tsu-
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ツァ}} {{translit|ja|tsa}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |{{lang|ja|ツャ}} {{translit|ja|tsya}} 
| rowspan="2" style="background:#9cf;" | {{lang|ja|ツィ}} {{translit|ja|tsi}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
| rowspan="2" style="background:#eee8aa;"|{{lang|ja|ツュ}} {{translit|ja|tsyu}} 
| {{lang|ja|ツェ}} {{translit|ja|tse}}
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ツォ}} {{translit|ja|tso}}
| rowspan="2"style="background:#e9e9e9;"  |{{lang|ja|ツョ}} {{translit|ja|tsyo}} 
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
| {{lang|ja|ツィェ}} {{translit|ja|tsye}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|zu-
| colspan="3" |
| style="background:#e1a1ff;" | {{lang|ja|ズィ}} {{translit|ja|zi}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}}
| colspan="5" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
| rowspan="2" |dzu-
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ヅァ}} {{translit|ja|za}}
| rowspan="2" |{{lang|ja|ヅャ}} {{translit|ja|zya}}
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ヅィ}} {{translit|ja|zi}}
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |{{lang|ja|ヅュ}} {{translit|ja|zyu}}
| {{lang|ja|ヅェ}} {{translit|ja|ze}}
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ヅォ}} {{translit|ja|zo}}
| rowspan="2" |{{lang|ja|ヅョ}} {{translit|ja|zyo}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
| {{lang|ja|ヅィェ}} {{translit|ja|zye}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e7f5de; text-align:center;"
|te-
|
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
| style="background:#fc9;" | {{lang|ja|ティ}} {{translit|ja|ti}}
| style="background:#9cf;" |
|style="background:#99CCFF;"|{{lang|ja|テュ}} {{translit|ja|tyu}} 
| colspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#9cf; text-align:center;"
|to-
|
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" | {{lang|ja|トィ}} {{translit|ja|twi}}{{Efn|name=Slavic wi|group=n}}
| {{lang|ja|トゥ}} {{translit|ja|tu}}
|
| colspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e7f5de; text-align:center;"
|de-
|
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
| style="background:#fc9;" | {{lang|ja|ディ}} {{translit|ja|di}}
| style="background:#9cf;" |
|style="background:#fc9;"|{{lang|ja|デュ}} {{translit|ja|dyu}} 
| colspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#fc9; text-align:center;"
|do-
|
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" | {{lang|ja|ドィ}} {{translit|ja|dwi}}{{Efn|name=Slavic wi|group=n}}
| style="background:#99CCFF;" |{{lang|ja|ドゥ}} {{translit|ja|du}} 
|
| colspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|ni-
nu-
|
|
|
| {{lang|ja|ヌィ}} {{translit|ja|nwi}}{{Efn|name=Slavic wi|group=n}}
|
|
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|ニェ}} {{translit|ja|nye}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}}
|
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
| rowspan="3" |hi-
| rowspan="3" |
| colspan="5" |
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|ヒェ}} {{translit|ja|hye}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}}
| colspan="2" |
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|ビェ}} {{translit|ja|bye}}
|
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|ピェ}} {{translit|ja|pye}}
|
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#fc9; text-align:center;"
| rowspan="4" |fu-
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|ファ}} {{translit|ja|fa}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#eee8aa;"|{{lang|ja|フャ}} {{translit|ja|fya}} 
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|フィ}} {{translit|ja|fi}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
| rowspan="2" style="background:#99CCFF;"|{{lang|ja|フュ}} {{translit|ja|fyu}} 
| {{lang|ja|フェ}} {{translit|ja|fe}}
| rowspan="2" | {{lang|ja|フォ}} {{translit|ja|fo}}
| rowspan="2" style="background:#eee8aa;" |{{lang|ja|フョ}} {{translit|ja|fyo}}{{Efn|name=usage unregulated|group=n}} 
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#eee8aa; text-align:center;"
| {{lang|ja|フィェ}} {{translit|ja|fye}}
|-
|
|
|style="background:#e9e9e9;" |{{lang|ja|ブィ}} {{translit|ja|bwi}}{{Efn|name=Slavic wi|group=n}} 
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|style="background:#e9e9e9;" |{{lang|ja|プィ}} {{translit|ja|pwi}}{{Efn|name=Slavic wi|group=n}} 
|
|
|
|
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|
|
| colspan="3" |
| style="background:#e1a1ff;" | {{lang|ja|ホゥ}} {{translit|ja|hu}}
|
| colspan="2" |
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|mi-
mu-
|
|
|
| {{lang|ja|ムィ}} {{translit|ja|mwi}}{{Efn|name=Slavic wi|group=n}}
|
|
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|ミェ}} {{translit|ja|mye}}
|
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|ri-
ru-
|
|
|
| {{lang|ja|ルィ}} {{translit|ja|rwi}}{{Efn|name=Slavic wi|group=n}}
|
|
| style="background:#eee8aa;" | {{lang|ja|リェ}} {{translit|ja|rye}}
|
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e1a1ff; text-align:center;"
|r-
|
| {{lang|ja|ラ゚}} {{translit|ja|la}}{{Efn|name=rare l|group=n}}
|
| {{lang|ja|リ゚}} {{translit|ja|li}}{{Efn|name=rare l|group=n}}
| {{lang|ja|ル゚}} {{translit|ja|lu}}{{Efn|name=rare l|group=n}}
|
| {{lang|ja|レ゚}} {{translit|ja|le}}{{Efn|name=rare l|group=n}}
| {{lang|ja|ロ゚}} {{translit|ja|lo}}{{Efn|name=rare l|group=n}}
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#e9e9e9; text-align:center;"
|ri-
|
| {{lang|ja|リ゚ャ}} {{translit|ja|lya}}{{Efn|name=rare l|group=n}}
|
|
| {{lang|ja|リ゚ュ}} {{translit|ja|lyu}}{{Efn|name=rare l|group=n}}
|
| {{lang|ja|リ゚ェ}} {{translit|ja|lye}}{{Efn|name=rare l|group=n}}
| {{lang|ja|リ゚ョ}} {{translit|ja|lyo}}{{Efn|name=rare l|group=n}}
|
|- style="vertical-align:top; background:#eee8aa; text-align:center;"
|w-
|
| {{lang|ja|ヷ}} {{translit|ja|va}}{{Efn|name=obsolete|group=n|Obsolete in modern Japanese and very rarely used.{{refn|name=usage1946|{{cite web|url=http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~lf4a-okjm/genkan21.htm |script-title=ja:昭和21年内閣告示第33号 「現代かなづかい」 |trans-title=Japanese Cabinet Order No.33 in 1946 – Modern kana usage |date=16 November 1946 |author=Cabinet of Japan |language=ja |access-date=25 May 2011 |author-link=Cabinet of Japan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011006222929/http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~lf4a-okjm/genkan21.htm |archive-date=6 October 2001}}}}{{refn|name=usage1986|{{cite web|url=http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/nc/t19860701002/t19860701002.html|script-title=ja:昭和61年内閣告示第1号 「現代仮名遣い」|trans-title=Japanese Cabinet Order No.1 in 1986 – Modern kana usage|date=1 July 1986|author=Cabinet of Japan|publisher=[[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology]]|language=ja|access-date=25 May 2011|author-link=Cabinet of Japan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524004651/http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/nc/t19860701002/t19860701002.html|archive-date=24 May 2011|url-status=dead}}}}}}
|
| {{lang|ja|ヸ}} {{translit|ja|vi}}{{Efn|name=obsolete|group=n}}
| style="background:#e9e9e9;" |
|
| {{lang|ja|ヹ}} {{translit|ja|ve}}{{Efn|name=obsolete|group=n}}
| {{lang|ja|ヺ}} {{translit|ja|vo}}{{Efn|name=obsolete|group=n}}
|
|}

{{notelist|group=n|refs=
{{efn|name=rare w|The use of {{lang|ja|ウ}} in these two cases to represent {{translit|ja|w}} is rare in modern Japanese except for Internet slang and customary transcription of the Latin sound {{IPA|[w]}} into katakana. E.g.: {{lang|ja|[[w:ja:ミネルウァ|ミネル'''ウァ''']]|nocat=1}} ({{translit|ja|Mineru'''wa'''}} "[[Minerva]]", from Latin {{lang|la|MINER'''VA'''}} {{IPA|[mɪˈnɛr'''wa''']}}); {{lang|ja|[[w:ja:ウゥルカーヌス|'''ウゥ'''ルカーヌス]]|nocat=1}} ('''''Wu'''rukānusu'' "[[Vulcan (mythology)|Vulcan]]", from Latin {{lang|la|'''VV'''LCANVS}}, {{lang|la|'''Vu'''lcānus}} {{IPA|['''wʊ'''lˈkaːnʊs]}}). The {{translit|ja|wa}}-type of foreign sounds (as in ''watt'' or ''white'') is usually transcribed to {{lang|ja|ワ}} ({{translit|ja|wa}}), while the {{translit|ja|wu}}-type (as in ''wood'' or ''woman'') is usually to {{lang|ja|ウ}} ({{translit|ja|u}}) or {{lang|ja|ウー}} ({{translit|ja|ū}}).}}

{{efn|name=rare v|{{lang|ja|ヴ}} has a rarely-used [[hiragana]] form in {{lang|ja|ゔ}} that is also {{translit|ja|vu}} in Hepburn romanization systems.}}

{{efn|name=usage unregulated|Mentioned in Note 1 {{nihongo2|「留意事項その1」}} of 1991 Cabinet Order No. 2 as examples of other "usage unregulated" by the guidelines.}}

{{efn|name=nasal u|Prescribed by {{nihongo2|「文部省制定 發音符號」}}, published by the Japanese Ministry of Education in 1944, as a way to transcribe initial {{lang|ja|ウ}} ({{translit|ja|u}}) when pronounced nasally. For example, {{lang|ja|ウ゚マイ}} ({{translit|ja|nmai}}) as a transcription of {{lang|ja|うまい}} ({{translit|ja|umai}}). Usually, {{lang|ja|ン}} ({{translit|ja|n}}) is used for this purpose instead, as in {{lang|ja|ンマイ}} ({{translit|ja|nmai}}).}}

{{efn|name=bidakuon|Sometimes used in Japanese linguistics to transcribe the {{ill|bidakuon|lt=''bidakuon''|ja|鼻濁音}} {{IPA|[ŋ]}} initial.}}

{{efn|name=rare l|Sometimes used in Japanese linguistics to mark an explicit {{IPA|[l]}} sound.}}

{{efn|name=Slavic wi|Employed in the transcription of [[Palatalization_(phonetics)#Slavic_languages|hard consonants]] + ''i'' in Slavic languages.}}
}}

==History==
[[File:Origin of Katakana from Kanji Chart.png|thumb|Roots of katakana highlighted]]
[[File:Syougaku11.jpg|thumb|Japanese katakana in a 1873 textbook]]
Katakana was developed in the 9th century (during the early [[Heian period]]) by [[Nara period|Buddhist monks in Nara]] in order to transliterate texts and works of arts from India, by taking parts of ''[[man'yōgana]]'' characters as a form of shorthand, hence this kana is so-called {{Nihongo||片|kata|"partial, fragmented"}}. For example, {{Nihongo||カ|ka}} comes from the left side of {{Nihongo||加|ka|lit. "increase", but the original meaning is no longer applicable to kana}}. The adjacent table shows the origins of each katakana: the red markings of the original [[Chinese character]] (used as ''man'yōgana'') eventually became each corresponding symbol.<ref>[http://www.omniglot.com/writing/japanese_katakana.htm Japanese katakana]. Omniglot.com</ref>

Official documents of the [[Empire of Japan]] were written exclusively with [[kyūjitai]] and katakana.

== Obsolete kana ==
=== Variant forms ===
{{see also|hentaigana}}
Katakana have variant forms. For example, [[File:Katakana letter Ne 2.svg|20px]](ネ) and [[File:Katakana letter Wi 2.svg|20px]](ヰ).<ref>[https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/810323/6 『小学略則教授法』]「五十音図」</ref> However, katakana's variant forms are fewer than hiragana's. Katakana's choices of ''man'yōgana'' segments had stabilized early on and established – with few exceptions – an unambiguous [[phonemic orthography]] (one symbol per sound) long before the 1900 script regularization.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tranter|first=Nicolas|title=The Languages of Japan and Korea|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I7PTXPq_nSAC&pg=PA218|year=2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-46287-7|page=218}}</ref>

=== Polysyllabic kana ===
{{see also|kana ligature}}

=== Yi, Ye and Wu ===
{{see also|Yi (kana)|Ye (kana)|Wu (kana)}}

== Stroke order ==
The following table shows the method for writing each katakana character. It is arranged in a traditional manner, where characters are organized by the sounds that make them up. The numbers and arrows indicate the [[stroke order]] and direction, respectively.
[[File:Table katakana.svg|center]]

==Computer encoding==
In addition to fonts intended for Japanese text and Unicode catch-all fonts (like [[Arial Unicode MS]]), many fonts intended for Chinese (such as MS Song) and Korean (such as Batang) also include katakana.

=== Hiragana and katakana ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2009}}
{{main|Half-width kana}}
In addition to the usual {{nihongo|full-width|全角|''zenkaku''}} display forms of characters, katakana has a second form, {{nihongo|[[Half-width kana|half-width]]|半角|''hankaku''}}. The half-width forms were originally associated with the [[JIS X 0201]] encoding. Although their display form is not specified in the standard, in practice they were designed to fit into the same rectangle of pixels as Roman letters to enable easy implementation on the computer equipment of the day. This space is narrower than the square space traditionally occupied by Japanese characters, hence the name "half-width". In this scheme, diacritics (dakuten and handakuten) are separate characters. When originally devised, the half-width katakana were represented by a single byte each, as in JIS X 0201, again in line with the capabilities of contemporary computer technology.

In the late 1970s, two-byte character sets such as [[JIS X 0208]] were introduced to support the full range of Japanese characters, including katakana, hiragana and kanji. Their display forms were designed to fit into an approximately square array of pixels, hence the name "full-width". For backward compatibility, separate support for half-width katakana has continued to be available in modern multi-byte encoding schemes such as Unicode, by having two separate blocks of characters – one displayed as usual (full-width) katakana, the other displayed as half-width katakana.

Although often said to be obsolete, the half-width katakana are still used in many systems and encodings. For example, the titles of [[mini disc]]s can only be entered in ASCII or half-width katakana, and half-width katakana are commonly used in computerized cash register displays, on shop receipts, and Japanese digital television and DVD subtitles. Several popular Japanese encodings such as [[Extended Unix Code|EUC-JP]], [[Unicode]] and [[Shift JIS]] have half-width katakana code as well as full-width. By contrast, [[ISO/IEC 2022|ISO-2022-JP]] has no half-width katakana, and is mainly used over [[SMTP]] and [[NNTP]].

===Unicode===
{{Main|Katakana (Unicode block)|Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms (Unicode block)|Enclosed CJK Letters and Months|l3=Enclosed CJK Letters and Months (Unicode block)|Katakana Phonetic Extensions|l4=Katakana Phonetic Extensions (Unicode block)|Kana Supplement|l5=Kana Supplement (Unicode block)|Small Kana Extension|l6=Small Kana Extension (Unicode block)|Kana Extended-A|l7=Kana Extended-A (Unicode block)|Kana Extended-B|l8=Kana Extended-B (Unicode block)|CJK Compatibility}}

Katakana was added to the Unicode Standard in October, 1991 with the release of version 1.0.

The Unicode block for (full-width) katakana is U+30A0–U+30FF.

Encoded in this block along with the katakana are the ''nakaguro'' word-separation [[middle dot]], the ''chōon'' vowel extender, the katakana [[iteration mark]]s, and a [[Typographic ligature|ligature]] of [[Koto (kana)|コト]] sometimes used in vertical writing.

{{unicode chart Katakana}}

Half-width equivalents to the usual full-width katakana also exist in Unicode. These are encoded within the [[Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms]] block (U+FF00–U+FFEF) (which also includes full-width forms of Latin characters, for instance), starting at U+FF65 and ending at U+FF9F (characters U+FF61–U+FF64 are half-width punctuation marks). This block also includes the half-width dakuten and handakuten. The full-width versions of these characters are found in the Hiragana block.

{{Unicode chart Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms|subset=katakana}}

Circled katakana are code points U+32D0–U+32FE in the Enclosed CJK Letters and Months block (U+3200–U+32FF). A circled ン (n) is not included.

{{Unicode chart Enclosed CJK Letters and Months|subset=katakana}}

Extensions to Katakana for phonetic transcription of Ainu and other languages were added to the Unicode standard in March 2002 with the release of version 3.2.

The Unicode block for Katakana Phonetic Extensions is U+31F0–U+31FF:

{{Unicode chart Katakana Phonetic Extensions}}

Historic and variant forms of Japanese kana characters were added to the Unicode standard in October 2010 with the release of version 6.0.

The Unicode block for Kana Supplement is U+1B000–U+1B0FF:

{{Unicode chart Kana Supplement}}

The Unicode block for Small Kana Extension is U+1B130–U+1B16F:

{{Unicode chart Small Kana Extension}}

The Kana Extended-A Unicode block is U+1B100–1B12F. It contains [[hentaigana]] (non-standard hiragana) and historic kana characters.
{{Unicode chart Kana Extended-A}}

The Kana Extended-B Unicode block is U+1AFF0–1AFFF. It contains kana originally created by Japanese linguists to write [[Taiwanese Hokkien]] known as [[Taiwanese kana]].
{{Unicode chart Kana Extended-B}}

The CJK Compatibility block contains in the range U+3330-3357 square versions of katakana words, usually measure units or abbreviations of loanwords:
{{Unicode chart CJK Compatibility|subset=katakana}}

Katakana in other Unicode blocks:
* [[Dakuten]] and [[dakuten|handakuten]] diacritics are located in the [[Hiragana (Unicode block)|Hiragana block]]:
** U+3099 COMBINING KATAKANA-HIRAGANA VOICED SOUND MARK (non-spacing dakuten): ゙
** U+309A COMBINING KATAKANA-HIRAGANA SEMI-VOICED SOUND MARK (non-spacing handakuten): ゚
** U+309B KATAKANA-HIRAGANA VOICED SOUND MARK (spacing dakuten): ゛
** U+309C KATAKANA-HIRAGANA SEMI-VOICED SOUND MARK (spacing handakuten): ゜
* Two katakana-based [[emoji]] are in the [[Enclosed Ideographic Supplement|Enclosed Ideographic Supplement block]]:
** U+1F201 SQUARED KATAKANA KOKO ('here' sign): 🈁
** U+1F202 SQUARED KATAKANA SA ('service' sign): 🈂
* A katakana-based Japanese TV symbol from the [[ARIB STD-B24]] standard is in the [[Enclosed Ideographic Supplement|Enclosed Ideographic Supplement block]]:
** U+1F213 SQUARED KATAKANA DE ('data broadcasting service linked with a main program' symbol): 🈓

Furthermore, as of Unicode {{Unicode version|version=17.0}}, the following combinatory sequences have been explicitly named, despite having no precomposed symbols in the katakana block. Font designers may want to optimize the display of these composed glyphs. Some of them are mostly used for writing the [[Ainu language]], the others are called {{ill|Dakuten#Phonetic shifts|lt=''bidakuon''|ja|鼻濁音}} in Japanese. Other, arbitrary combinations with U+309A handakuten are also possible.

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" | Katakana named sequences<br />[https://unicode.org/Public/UNIDATA/NamedSequences.txt Unicode Named Character Sequences Database]
|-
! Sequence name
! colspan="2" style="width:20pt"  | Codepoints
! style="width:20pt"  | Glyph
|-
| KATAKANA LETTER BIDAKUON NGA || U+30AB || U+309A || style="text-align:center;" | カ゚
|-
| KATAKANA LETTER BIDAKUON NGI || U+30AD || U+309A || style="text-align:center;" |  キ゚
|-
| KATAKANA LETTER BIDAKUON NGU || U+30AF || U+309A || style="text-align:center;" |  ク゚
|-
| KATAKANA LETTER BIDAKUON NGE || U+30B1 || U+309A || style="text-align:center;" |  ケ゚
|-
| KATAKANA LETTER BIDAKUON NGO || U+30B3 || U+309A || style="text-align:center;" |  コ゚
|-
| KATAKANA LETTER AINU CE || U+30BB || U+309A || style="text-align:center;" |  セ゚
|-
| KATAKANA LETTER AINU TU || U+30C4 || U+309A || style="text-align:center;" |  ツ゚
|-
| KATAKANA LETTER AINU TO || U+30C8 || U+309A || style="text-align:center;" |  ト゚
|-
| KATAKANA LETTER AINU P || U+31F7 || U+309A || style="text-align:center;" |  ㇷ゚
|}

==See also==
* [[Japanese phonology]]
* [[Hiragana]]
* [[Historical kana usage]]
* [[Romaji|Rōmaji]]
* [[Gugyeol]]
* ''[[Tōdaiji Fujumonkō]]'', oldest example of kanji text with katakana annotations
* [[:File:Beschrijving van Japan - ABC (cropped).jpg]] for the kana as described by [[Engelbert Kaempfer]] in 1727

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category}}
{{Wiktionary|katakana}}
* [https://learn-scripts.github.io/katakana.html Katakana study tool]
* [https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U30A0.pdf Katakana Unicode chart]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120119075907/http://japanese-dict.com/ Japanese dictionary with Katakana, Hiragana and Kanji on-screen keyboards]
* [https://kanjikana.com/en/katakana Katakana table with strokes animations]

{{Japanese language}}
{{list of writing systems}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Japanese writing system terms]]
[[Category:Kana]]
[[Category:Japanese writing system]]

[[sv:Kana (skriftsystem)#Katakana]]