katakana

K5A1T1A1K5A1N1A1
Canada, UK/ˌkætəˈkænə/US/ˌkætəˈkɑːnə/US/ˌkɑtəˈkɑːnə/

noun

A Japanese syllabary used when writing words borrowed from foreign languages other than Chinese, specific names of plants and animals and other jargon, onomatopoeia, or to emphasize a word or phrase. Also used to write the Ainu language.

UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

katakana1

nounkatakana (countable and uncountable, plural katakana or katakanas)

plural katakanas · alternative archaic katagana

  1. uncountableA Japanese syllabary used when writing words borrowed from foreign languages other than Chinese, specific names of plants and animals and other jargon, onomatopoeia, or to emphasize a word or phrase. Also used to write the Ainu language.
  2. countableuncountableA character thereof.

Katakana2

proper noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of katakana.

Origin

From Japanese 片(かた)仮(か)名(な) (katakana).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic كَاتَاكَانَا
  • كَاتَاكَانَا (katakānā)Japanese syllabary
Bulgarian катакана
  • катаканаJapanese syllabary
Chinese Mandarin 片假名
  • 片假名 (piànjiǎmíng)Japanese syllabary
Czech katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
Finnish katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
French katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
German Katakana
  • KatakanaJapanese syllabary
Greek κατακάνα
  • κατακάνα (katakána)Japanese syllabary
Hebrew קאטאקאנה
  • קאטאקאנהJapanese syllabary
Hindi काटाकना, काटाकाना
  • काटाकना (kāṭāknā)Japanese syllabary
  • काटाकाना (kāṭākānā)Japanese syllabary
  • काताकाना (kātākānā)Japanese syllabary
  • काताकना (kāṭāknā)Japanese syllabary
Italian katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
Japanese 片仮名, カタカナ
  • 片仮名Japanese syllabary
  • カタカナJapanese syllabary
Korean 가타카나, 가타가나
  • 가타카나 (gatakana)Japanese syllabary
  • 가타가나 (gatagana)Japanese syllabary
  • 카타카나Japanese syllabary
  • 카타가나 (katagana)Japanese syllabary
Malay katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
Persian کاتاکانا
  • کاتاکاناJapanese syllabary
Polish katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
Portuguese katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
Russian ката́кана, катака́на
  • ката́кана (katákana)Japanese syllabary
  • катака́на (katakána)Japanese syllabary
Spanish katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
Swedish katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
Tagalog katakana
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
Thai คะตะคะนะ
  • คะตะคะนะ (ká-dtà-ká-ná)Japanese syllabary
Ukrainian ката́кана, катака́на
  • ката́кана (katákana)Japanese syllabary
  • катака́на (katakána)Japanese syllabary
Vietnamese katakana, chữ cứng
  • katakanaJapanese syllabary
  • chữ cứngJapanese syllabary

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with katakana

IndianaLouisianaMontanaannaBotswanaghanaDianasavannahanadanaGuyananirvanaHannahAmericanaHavanajoannamanasavannananaSusannaTijuanaSusquehannaFermanaghiguana
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

katakana. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/katakana

MLA

“katakana.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/katakana. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “katakana,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/katakana.

Source: katakana on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.