How do you spell in katakana?

Answer 1

This is a very wide topic with many exceptions, the best case of learning how to turn a non-Japanese word to a Japanese word by using katakana is to see numerous examples. The way the word has been inserted into Japanese is one of the most important factors which determines the regularity or irregularity of its Japanization; whether it was something they first 'heard' and then tried to write, or if it was something they saw/read before hearing would be a key determinant in exceptions. However I will try to be specific enough for a reader to be able to do this with majority of the convertible words. Please do note that even though many English words have entered Japanese, it doesn't mean you can use this on just anything. Names and titles, and majority of popular/globally used words with no original equivalent in Japanese however can without an exception be subject to it.

There are several steps to include, when transliterating a non-Japanese word into katakana: (steps 1 & 2 are merely an introduction on katakana)

[*General key note: Hereafter, by saying 'consonant (...)' I mean actually consonantal usage of the letter mentioned, not its general usage. E.g. when saying consonant 'm' I mean like in hamburger not like inmend.*]

1* There are 48 main characters in Japanese katakana (the same for hiragana) syllabary called 五十音 /go juu on/ literally meaning [the 50 sounds]. They are 10 consonants merging with each of the five vowels creating that consonant's group's syllables. The first group is the vowels themselves, and after that come k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w. E.g. group 'N' would be [na, ni, nu, ne, no].

Some of those syllables change to a closer sound for Japanese accents and phonology, like in group 's' we have 'shi' instead of 'si' and 'chi' instead of 'ti' in group 't', among some others.

Needless to emphasize, but the Japanese don't originally have 'L' and 'V' sounds in their phonology, similar to some sounds being totally unknown to some languages. As for 'v' they already created katakana characters to cover it but for 'L', since their original pronunciation of the 'R' group is neither as firm as 'R' in English nor as soft as 'L' but something of a mixture of the two, they just turn any 'L' containing syllables to a related 'r' group's syllable.

English-existent sounds ð (like in feather) and θ (like in threat) and ʒ (like in pleasure) are turned to 'z' , 's' and 'j' groups' syllables respectively.

In addition the syllables 'yi', 'ye' and 'wu' don't exist, or better said have no usage they are not mentioned in common katakana tables. And we have the only single-consonant character 'n' (others were syllables) making it a totall of (5*10)-3+1 = 48. That being true about hiragana and katakana both, syllables 'wu' and 'we' particularly are obsolete as well, and in both hiragana and katakana exist just figuratively and in tables only. They also don't combine to create the syllables explained in the following paragraphs.

By further combining some of those syllables, we can create 二重音字 /ni juu on ji/ [digraphs] (syllables containing two characters but acting as one syllalbe). Depending on the type of characters being combined, there will be 3 categories as follows:

1*1* Those which are a combination of a main 'i' ending syllable with one of the 'y' group syllables of katakana (ヤ /ya/, ヨ /yo/, ユ /yu/), rendering the 'y' group's character into a 拗音 /you on/ [diphthong/contracted sound] and changing their written form into smaller ones which are written in right side below the main syllable (ャ, ョ, ュ). This group's pronunciation originally exists in Japanese phonetics.

Example: キ /ki/ + ヤ /ya/ = キャ /kya/ in which the 'y' is pronounced only slightly.

1*2* Those which are a combination of any main syllable with one of the five vowels (ア /a/, イ /i/, ウ /u/, エ /e/, オ /o/) doing the same as the case in 1*1* turning them into (ァ, ィ, ゥ, ェ, ォ). This group's pronunciation does not originally exist in Japanese phonetics and is prepared to enable all foreign syllables to be converted into Japanese writing.

Example: フ /fu/ + エ /e/ = フェ /fe/, in which case native Japanese speakers usually tend to pronounce it slightly like 'fue' but fast enough to sound just 'fe'.

Example 2: referee =>レフェリー /re fe rii/.

1*3* There are also a group of digraphs where two vowels are combined, creating a 長音 /chou on/ [long vowel] which is pronounced twice as long as the vowel itself with the same sound. Originally each main vowel has its own corresponding vowel/vowels to elongate it in hiragana but in katakana the character ー alone is used to elongate all five vowels and is phoneticised as double the same vowel. Usage of such vowels have been mentioned in 6*2* and 7*1*.

Example: ウ /u/ + ー = ウー /uu/

2* We also add 濁点 /da ku ten/ [voiced syllable marker; also called tenten/chonchon] which looks like and is used to create 濁音 /da ku on [voiced sound(s)] (e.g. changing shi to ji, or ku to gu) and 半濁点 /han da ku ten/ [semi-voiced marker] which looks like ﾟto create 半濁音 /han da ku on/ [semi-voiced sound(s), 'p' syllabary group (pa, pi, pu, pe, po)].

Example: ス /su/ + ˝ = ズ /zu/.

Example 2: ホ /ho/ + ﾟ = ポ /po/.

__________________________End of Introduction on Katakana__________________________

3* The first thing needed is to take the word we want to write in katakana and syllabicate it, with one exception of consonant 'n' counting as one syllable alone, and also consonant 'm' in middle of a word preceding 'b' or 'p' consonants (as well as before itself, see explanatory example 2) turning to 'n' thus counting as one syllable too. Keep in mind that for the vowel 'o', the syllable containing it will be converted almost always to its relevant consonant's 'o' ending syllable in katakana, no matter the original pronunciation of it.

Take a word like 'computer' e.g., its first syllable would be 'com' read when alone as /kam/ or /kəm/ (with schwa), but in Japanese it would be read and written as /kon/ ('m' turning to 'n').

4* When we are done separating the syllables in this way, we try to find the responding syllable for it in katakana and put it together. The core of a syllable is 'vowel' so in general these are the syllable patterns:

(C = consonant /or multiple consonants succeeding each other, consonant cluster like the word worms / V= vowel)

1) V = syllable.............like: a+tom = atom

2) V+C = syllable.........like: en+ded = ended

3) C+V = syllable.........like: Ro+bin = Robin

4) C+V+C = syllable.....like: car+bon = carbon

[4*1*) Note that number of consonants consecutively coming right next to each other does not change the pattern and thus is not needed to be mentioned. That is why I defined Cto be a consonant or a consonant cluster. In case of clusters, all the consonants will be turned to their 'u' ending syllables of Japanese syllabary, later explained in 5*.]

[4*2*) Note that diphthongs have not been mentioned, but they originally form the same pattern as (3) but might attain another C and further develop into (4). In any case they are treated the same way, just with their own relevant syllables in Katakana, like: news+pa+per = newspaper -> Case (4)]

5* Now if you are familiar with Japanese phonetics and katakana you will understand that there will be one problem: 末子音 /ma tsu shi in/ [syllables-ending consonant(s)]; as well as 子音群 /shi in gon/ [consonant cluster(s)].

Since the only consonant existing in Japanese is 'n' and no other, any other than 'n' will have to be turned into a syllable, by ending in 'u' (or 'i' which is exception and will be explained in 5*1*), e.g. 'b' => 'bu'.

In this pattern that would be cases (2) and (4). In such cases we basically just have to turn that consonant into the 'u' ending syllable of its group. For instance if we have a syllable like 'Sam' we turn the ending 'm' into 'mu' for which we have an equating syllable in katakana.

5*1* There are exceptions where occasionally 'j', 'sh' and especially 'ch' turn into 'i' ending syllables, in other words to 'ji', 'shi' and 'chi', since 'ju', 'shu' and 'chu' are basically written 'ji+(diphthong)yu and so on therefor the core would be actually the 'i' ending syllables and that is enough. There is also a lesser exception where 't' and 'd' turn to 'to and 'do' since 'tu' and 'du' initially don't exist in original Japanese phonetics. Needless to mention that as cited in 1*2* 'tu' and 'du' canbe made in katakana but only when necessary which would be when a name having syllables 'tu' and/or 'du' has to be transliterated into Japanese.

6* Next we have the question 'geminate, or not geminate?'

(Geminates are the consecution or repetition of the same consonant right after one another, making the hesitation on it twice as long when pronouncing it. Like the word 'thinness' in English, but not only limited to 'n'.)

The gemination marker in katakana is ッ which is called 促音 /ha tsu on/ as well as 'little tsu' and is a constricted ツ /tsu/ having same properties of diphthongs (1*1*) in writing.

6*1* Consonants without a preceding vowel will never be geminated. In other words consonant clusters which occur in the very beginning of a word only need to be turned each into 'u' ending syllables of their respective groups. Similarly consonant clusters happening at middle or end of the word will have the possibility of gemination only at the very first consonant **. We can say, from the point where the first vowel sound appears in the word on, we can possibly have 'geminations' and that would be only after normal vowels not the long ones.

The way to recognize which syllable-ending consonants will and which will not be geminated, is very simple. A simple categorization for consonants, regarding how they are pronounced, which will help us out here would be:

'破裂音 /ha re tsu on/ [stop consonants/plosives]' & '摩擦音 /ma sa tsu on/ [continuant consonants/fricatives]'.

[**: There might be very rare cases where in the foreign word we have a consonant cluster the first consonant of which turning to 'u' syllable and causing the next to become geminate, but I have never come across nor can I picture the word, just saying theoretically possible though very low.]

6*1*1* Stop consonants (plosives), are those which while pronouncing them you can not keep letting air out of neither mouth nor nose. When you do, you'll have already finished pronouncing them. In Japanese they would be 'p, b, d, g, t, j, ch, k'.

Example: bag => バッグ /ba-ggu/.

6*1*2* Continuant consonants (fricatives), are those which while pronouncing them you can keep letting out the air from either mouth or nose as long as you are able to and you still will not have finished pronouncing them. Like 's' and 'n' and anything other than the stop consonants.

Example: gas => ガス /ga su/.

6*2* Here comes the usage of 長音 /chou on/ [long vowels] which were introduced earlier in 1*3*. With only the exception of interjections or colloquially used rare words, a long vowel disallows its following consonant to be geminated.

6*2*1 When turning a foreign word into katakana the particular consonant 'r' has so many different conversion ways in different words that one could say it almost does not have any. To sum it up:

When 'r' is not preceded by a vowel, in other words when it is in a consonant cluster and isn't the first consonant there, it simply is turned to 'ru', following the rules like a good boy.

When 'r' is used in the last syllable of the word and preceded by a vowel, forming a VC pattern (4* pattern 2) no matter the vowel or the reading, it turns to long or sometimes normal 'a'. Only some exceptions exist to this.

But when in VC pattern and not at the ending syllable, it tends to turn into long vowel, but not always; as it has quite the tendency to be variant. There are some words that can be spelled both ways. But this much can be pointed out, that when it is preceded by 'o' vowel particularly it elongates it, whereas when preceded by 'e' and 'a' vowels, it tends to turn into long 'a'. In case of being preceded by 'i' it's common for it to regularly turn to 'ru'. As always the pronunciation and number of vowels behind it also have a key role.

Example: border => ボーダー /boo daa/ [Note: do not confuse oo with u when phoneticising katakana long vowels. It simply is twice elongated 'o'.].

Example 2: cyborg => サイボーグ /sai boo gu/ [Note: if it wasn't for the part 'bor' turning into 'boo' with long 'o', the consonant 'g' ending the syllable 'borg' would be geminated.].

Example 3: park => パルコ /pa ru ku/. [Note: it would be expected for it to turn into 'paaku']

Example 4: permission => パーミッション /paa mi shon*/. [Note: 'tion' and 'ssion' ending of nouns in English, like partially explained in 3*, turn to 'shon'.].

6*3* Now that the difference between fricatives and plosives is clear, we can simply and generally say:

Preceded by normal vowels, plosives tend to geminate when converted into katakana.

Other than when doubled, fricatives do not tend to geminate when converted into katakana (further explained in 6*4).

Of course there are always exceptions, this is just the general case.

Example: 'Sam' ending in 'm' which is a continuant, will not be turned to 'sammu', but simply 'samu'. Whereas 'shot' ending in 't' which is a plosive, will be turned to 'shotto' and not 'shoto' or 'shotu' etc.

Example 2: mat => マット /ma-tto/.

Example 3: backdoor => バックドア /ba-kku do a/.

6*4* Most of the times, especially and more frequently in names/titles, 'double consonants' will be geminated unless of course prohibited by a preceding long vowel like mentioned above. There are always exceptions such as:

Melissa => メリッサ /me ri-ssa/.

Brussel => ブリュッセル /bu ryu-sse ru/ [Note: You might think there is no reason to turn 'ru' in 'Brussel' into 'ryu' youon/diphthong, but as I mentioned in the beginning paragraph, how and where from a word gets into a language has a key role in its conversion or even vernacularization. In this case the French term Bruxelles and their special pronunciation was what this kind of spelling came from.].

7* There is a slight need to mention the 'y' sound, like in you. It's most commonly treated as a consonant in English. However in Japanese when the 'y' sound is followed by a vowel, it usually splits, being treated as vowel 'i' at the end of a syllable whereas treated as a consonant, thus shown as a syllable of the group 'y' at the start of the next. Take the word 'higher'. In English the norm is to separate it to 'hai' + 'er' or 'ha' + 'yer'. But in Japanese it is turned to 'hai + ya', thus making a slight gemination on 'y'. There are words that are even spelled and used both ways (see example 1 & 4).

7*1* Consequently, in syllables where we clearly have a consonant 'y', the vowel イ / i / is used in Japanese (see example 3).

Example: clear => クリア /ku ri a/ & クリヤ /ku ri ya/.

Example 2: buyer => バイヤー /bai yaa/.

Example 3: flight => フライト /fu rai to/.

Example 4: fire => ファイア /fa i a/ & ファイヤ /fai ya/.

As a conclusion, let's take a regular and simple word and convert it to katakana with all the explanation above.

*Explanatory Example:*

1) Entry : 'Concert'

---syllabicate-->

'con'+'cert'

---having 'n' in mind as special syllable-->

'co'+'n'+'cert'

---we have an 'r' preceded by vowel 'e', as well as being in the ending syllable of the word there for long 'a'-->

'co'+'n'+'caat'

---we have 't' consonant at end of syllable-->

'co'+'n'+'caa'+'to'

---optional step, to write our resulting syllables phonetically, causing ease of pairing with katakana-->

'ko'+'n'+'saa'+'to'

---final step, we have everything above in katakana we just pair them up-->

" コンサート "

2) Entry : 'Hammer' (a bit tricky, good for an example)

---syllabicate-->

'ha'+'mmer'

---we have 'r' preceded by 'e' and at ending syllable, all the reason to-->

'ha'+'mmaa'

---notice double 'm' so we will need gemination-->

---This one being exceptional, like I partially cited in 3* but couldn't explain further since gemination has conditions, 'm' before 'p' and 'b' also if and when geminated will turn to 'n' syllable of katakana. But in case of gemination, we have a 'm' we stop on, and another 'm' which starts the next syllable, in which case the first only is converted to 'n'-->

'ha'+'n'+'maa'

---we just have to replace them with katakana syllables-->

" ハンマー "

._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.

* With all said and done, exceptions are quite enough to defy just about any rule. Here are some general exception examples: *

Exception Example: pass => パース /paa su/ [Note: You see a long vowel usage here which does not follow any of the mentioned rules, and a double 's' at the ending of the syllable which did not geminate due to the long vowel right before it.]

Exception Example 2: major => メージャー /mee jaa/ (regular) & メジャー /me jaa/ (exception)

Exception Example 3: class => クラス /ku ra su/ [Note: contradicting the general rules the double 's' ending did not geminate.]

Exception Example 4: rush =>ラッシュ /ra-sshu/ [Note: consonant ending 'sh' geminated despite the rules, on top of turning to 'shu' not 'shi' which is very expected since it's not too specific for it to have to end in either 'shi' or 'shu' and both are common, 'shu' being more so.]

There may be further slight editions/corrections.

Answer 2

En-Do-Ni-Shia= Indonesia
Indonesia

Answer 3

Indonesia = インドネシア