English to Katakana Converter
Convert English words into katakana from their spelling patterns (school → スクール, night → ナイト). It is handy for adding readings to English words or getting a rough idea of how a name is written in katakana. This is a simple tool, not a pronunciation checker: spelling rules are backed by a small dictionary for irregular common words. For romaji and kana, see the Romaji ⇔ Hiragana Converter.
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Notes
- This is a simple converter based on spelling patterns and a dictionary of about 300 words. English pronunciation often differs from spelling, so the result may not match the katakana actually in use. Treat it as a rough guide.
- Irregular spellings such as "knife" and "people" are only handled correctly when the word is in the dictionary. Words outside it are guessed by rules and are less accurate.
- Words with more than one pronunciation (read, live) are converted with only one of them.
- Only common English first and last names (John, Mary, Smith and about 180 others) are in the dictionary and convert correctly. Other names are guessed by rules and often come out wrong.
- For official spellings of product names, company names or personal names, check the official source.
Glossary
Katakana transcription (gairaigo)
Foreign words written with Japanese sounds. Sounds that do not exist in Japanese (th, v, the l/r distinction) are replaced by close ones, so one English word can have several spellings, for example with or without ヴ.
Magic e
The English spelling rule where a final "vowel + consonant + e" (make, nice, home) leaves the e silent and lengthens the vowel. The tool uses it to produce メイク, ナイス and ホーム.
FAQ
Is the result the correct katakana spelling?
It is a rough guide. The tool uses spelling patterns plus a dictionary of common words, so some results differ from the katakana actually in use. For an official spelling, check the original source.
Can it handle irregular words like "knife" or "people"?
About 300 common words, IT terms and common English first and last names are in the dictionary and convert correctly. Irregular words outside it are guessed by rules and may come out wrong.
Can it convert English personal names?
Common first and last names such as John, Mary and Smith (about 180) are in the dictionary. Other names are guessed from spelling, so check the person’s own or official katakana spelling.
How are acronyms like USB or HTML converted?
With "Spell out acronyms" on, all-caps words of 2 to 4 letters are read letter by letter (ユーエスビー, エイチティーエムエル). With it off, they are converted by spelling rules like any other word.
Can I use ヴ in the result?
Yes, with "Sound of v". The B-row gives ビデオ for video, and ヴ gives ヴィデオ.
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