English to Katakana Converter
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Type your name above and you get it in katakana — the Japanese script used for foreign names. Common English names come from a dictionary reviewed by a native Japanese speaker in Tokyo; anything else is converted by rules and clearly labeled as an estimate. Here is how the conversion actually works, and what to watch out for before you use the result anywhere permanent.
How English becomes katakana
Katakana writes sounds, not meanings. Converting your name is not translation — it is transcription: your name is broken into syllables Japanese can pronounce, and each syllable gets a character.
Michael becomes マイケル (ma-i-ke-ru). Nothing about the meaning of the name survives, because there was never meaning to carry — it is your name as a Japanese speaker would say it out loud.
This is also why two people can give you two slightly different katakana spellings of the same name and both be defensible. Transcription follows conventions, not laws. What we give you here is the form used in Japanese media and official contexts — the spelling a Japanese reader would expect to see.
The sounds Japanese doesn't have
Japanese has a smaller sound inventory than English, so some parts of your name will be approximated. These are the big ones:
| English sound | What Japanese uses | Example |
|---|---|---|
| L | The R-row (ラリルレロ) — Japanese has one liquid sound covering both L and R | Lisa → リサ |
| TH | ス or ザ | Kenneth → ケネス |
| V | The B-row (バビブベボ) | Victoria → ビクトリア |
| Ending -er | A long アー | Tyler → タイラー |
| SI | シ (which is closer to "shi") | Simon → サイモン avoids it; "si" alone becomes シ |
None of this is your name being "wrong" in Japanese. It is your name pronounced by a different sound system — the same thing that happens to Japanese names in English, in the other direction.
Two marks that confuse everyone
The long dash（ー） stretches the vowel before it. サラ is Sara with short vowels; サーラ would drag the first syllable out. Getting this mark wrong changes how your name sounds more than any other single mistake.
The small tsu（ッ） is a sharp stop before the next consonant — the difference between ジャック (Jack, with a clipped ending) and ジャク (which sounds mushy and incomplete). It has no sound of its own; it is a beat of silence.
The middle dot（・）separates first and last names: ジェニファー・スミス for Jennifer Smith. Japanese doesn't use spaces, so the dot does that job.
Verified names vs. automatic estimates
The tool above works in two tiers, and it tells you which one you got.
- ✓ Native-checked — your name is in our dictionary of common English names, each entry reviewed by a native Japanese speaker against the spellings actually used in Japanese media. You can use these with confidence.
- ~ Automatic estimate — your name is not in the reviewed set yet, so the conversion came from pronunciation rules. English spelling is irregular enough that rules get some names wrong. Treat an estimate as a draft.
Most converters won't tell you which of these two things they just did. We think the difference is the whole point — it is the difference between "checked by a person who reads Japanese" and "guessed by a script." If you got an estimate and want it confirmed, ask us.
Katakana, hiragana, or kanji — which one is for your name?
Katakana is the standard. Foreign names in Japan are written in katakana — on bank cards, in newspapers, in film credits. If you want the form a Japanese person would consider normal and correct, this page is it.
Hiragana would read as oddly soft — it is used for native Japanese words and grammar, and a foreign name written in it looks like a stylistic choice rather than a spelling.
Kanji is the interesting one. A kanji spelling of your name is possible — Japanese people sometimes create them as gifts — but every character carries meaning, so it has to be chosen with care, not generated by sound alone. That is a different craft with different rules, and it is what the rest of this site is about. Start with how we choose kanji if that is where you are headed.
Before you put it anywhere permanent
Katakana is low-risk compared to kanji — it carries no hidden meanings to get wrong. But two cautions are still worth stating plainly:
- If your result is marked estimate, have it confirmed before you engrave, print, or tattoo it. Rule-based conversion is good; it is not a native speaker.
- Write it exactly, marks and all. Dropping a ー or a ッ because it "looks cleaner" changes the pronunciation. The marks are not decoration.
FAQ
Why is my name longer in katakana?
Japanese syllables almost always end in a vowel, so consonant clusters get vowels inserted between them. Smith (one syllable) becomes スミス (su-mi-su, three). Your name is not being padded — it is being made pronounceable.
Is there one "official" katakana spelling of my name?
No central authority registers them, but strong conventions exist — the spellings used consistently in Japanese media. That is what our dictionary is checked against. For most common names, one spelling is clearly standard and the others read as slightly off.
Can you check my name personally?
Yes — if the tool gave you an estimate and you want a native speaker's confirmation, send it over. It costs nothing and we would rather check it than have a guess of ours end up somewhere permanent.