How to read loan words

Reading Katakana loanwords (Gairaigo) can be tricky because Japanese uses a limited set of sounds to approximate foreign words. When English words get converted into Katakana, they often look and sound a bit different!

Can you read シュルーズベリー、テルフォード、ウェリントン? (The answers are at the very bottom of this article.)

Here is a simple, learner-friendly guide to help you master these tricky Katakana combinations.

1. The "Small" Vowels (ァ, ィ, ゥ, ェ, ォ)

In regular Japanese, vowels are always full-sized. However, in loanwords, you will see small vowels combined with regular Katakana to create sounds that don’t exist in traditional Japanese.

Instead of pronouncing them as two separate sounds, blend them into one syllable.

• ティ (Te + small i) = "Ti"
• Example: パーティ (paati) → Party
• ディ (De + small i) = "Di"
• Example: ディズニー (dizunii) → Disney
• シェ (Shi + small e) = "She"
• Example: シェフ (shefu) → Chef
• チェ (Chi + small e) = "Che"
• Example: チェック (chekku) → Check / Checklist
• フォ (Ho + small o) = "Fo"
• Example: フォーク (fooku) → Fork

2. The "V" Sounds (ヴァ, ヴィ, ヴ, ヴェ, ヴォ)

Traditional Japanese doesn't have a "V" sound, so they historically used "B" (バ、ビ、ブ...). To sound closer to the original English, modern Katakana uses ウ (u) with tenten (ヴ) + a small vowel to create the "V" sound.

• ヴァ (Va) → ヴァンパイア (vanpaia / Vampire)
• ヴィ (Vi) → ヴィクター (viikutaa / Victor)
• ヴェ (Ve) → ヴェネツィア (venetsia / Venice)
• ヴォ(Vo) → ヴォーグ (voogu / Vogue)

💡 Quick Tip for Learners: In everyday speech, many Japanese speakers will still pronounce these with a "B" sound. So, don't be surprised if you hear Violin pronounced as Biorin! Both are understood.

3. The Elongated Sound (ー)

This long dash is incredibly important in Katakana. It means you need to hold the vowel sound for two beats instead of one. If you skip it, the word might sound completely different or be hard to understand.

• カード (kaado) → Card (Two beats on the "a")
• スーパー (suupaa) → Supermarket (Two beats on "u", two beats on "a")

★ When you write katakana words vertically, write the dash vertically. 

       カ

　　｜

　　ド

4. The Double Consonant / Glottal Stop (ッ)

The small ッ (tsu) represents a tiny pause, or a doubling of the next consonant sound. It gives the word a sharp, bouncy rhythm.

• カップ (kappu) → Cup
• ベッド (beddo) → Bed

💡 Summary Checklist

When you see a Katakana loanword, ask yourself:

1. Is that vowel small? Blend it!
2. Do you see a ヴ? Pronounce it like a V (or a B)!
3. Is there a long dash (ー)? Stretch the vowel!
4. Is there a small ッ? Pause slightly before the next sound!

5. The "W" Sounds (ウィ, ウェ, ウォ)

While Japanese has a natural ワ (wa) sound, it doesn't have native combinations for "wi", "we", or "wo". To make these sounds in loanwords, Katakana uses ウ (u) + a small vowel.

Just like before, blend them together into a single, smooth syllable.

• ウィ (Ui / Wi) → ウィスキー (ui / wisukii / Whiskey) or ウィンドウ (ui / windoo / Window)
• ウェ (Ue / We) → ウェブサイト (ue / webusaito / Website) or ウェディング (ue / wedingu / Wedding)
• ウォ (Uo / Wo) → ウォーター (uo / wootaa / Water) or ウォレット (uo / woretto / Wallet)

6. The "F" Sounds (ファ, フィ, フェ, フォ)

In traditional Japanese, the only "F-like" sound is フ (hu/fu), which is made by gently blowing air through your lips without touching your teeth. To create a stronger Western "F" sound, Katakana combines フ (fu) + a small vowel.

• ファ (Fa) → ファミリー (famirii / Family) or ファストフード (fasuto fuudo / Fast food)
• フィ (Fi) → フィリピン (firipin / Philippines) or フィットネス (fittonesu / Fitness)
• フェ (Fe) → カフェ (kafe / Cafe) or フェリー (ferii / Ferry)
• フォ (Fo) → フォーク (fooku / Fork) or フォルダー (forudaa / Folder)

💡 Quick Tip: Remember, even though it looks like "Fu + a", don't say "Fu-a" as two separate words. Keep your upper teeth close to your lower lip and make a clean "Fa" sound!

🌟 Bonus Tip: The "R" and "L" Merge

Japanese does not distinguish between the English "R" and "L" sounds. Both are converted into the Japanese ラ行 (Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro) column.

• ライト can mean both Light and Right.
• ガラス comes from the Dutch word glas (Glass).

Context is key when reading these words!

★ Answer : シュルーズベリー → Shrewsbury　テルフォード → Telford　ウェリントン → Wellington