Free • No registration • Private • Instant

Katakana Converter — English to Katakana, Hiragana, Kanji & Japanese Transliteration Tools

Convert English, Romaji, Kanji, and Hiragana to Katakana instantly with free browser-based tools. No data stored, no API needed.

Last updated

0 characters
Katakana
カタカナ
Ready to convert
Phoneme Breakdown

Japanese Transliteration Tools

Convert any script to Katakana or between Japanese writing systems. Each tool is built for a specific transliteration task.

⭐

English to Katakana

Convert English words and text to phonetically accurate Katakana using 100+ pronunciation rules.

Use Now →
🇺🇸

English Name to Katakana

Get the established Japanese Katakana spelling for common English names.

Use Now →
⌨️

Romaji to Katakana

Type Japanese sounds using an English keyboard and convert Romaji to Katakana instantly.

Use Now →
🏯

Kanji to Katakana

Extract Katakana readings from Kanji using morphological analysis of 50,000+ compounds.

Use Now →
🔀

Hiragana to Katakana

Convert curved Hiragana characters to angular Katakana with direct 1:1 character mapping.

Use Now →
🇯🇵

Japanese Name to Katakana

Format Japanese names into Katakana for business cards, forms, and official documents.

Use Now →
🔄

Katakana to Hiragana

Swap angular Katakana back to flowing Hiragana for native Japanese text formatting.

Use Now →
📐

Full-Width Katakana

Convert half-width Katakana to full-width characters for Japanese web forms and databases.

Use Now →
🇨🇳

Chinese to Katakana

Extract correct Onyomi readings from Chinese Hanzi characters and convert to Katakana.

Use Now →
📖

Kanji to Hiragana

Convert complex Kanji into beginner-friendly Hiragana readings for language learners.

Use Now →
📝

Full-Width Name

Prepare your romanized name in full-width characters for Japanese web form submissions.

Use Now →
🔤

Katakana Name Converter

Convert any name to Katakana with phonetic analysis for accurate Japanese pronunciation.

Use Now →

What Is Katakana?

Katakana (カタカナ) is one of Japan’s three writing systems, alongside Hiragana and Kanji. It features angular, straight-lined characters and is used primarily for foreign names, loanwords from English and other languages, onomatopoeia, and emphasis in Japanese text.

For example, “coffee” becomes コーヒー and “Michael” becomes マイケル. Katakana is essential for filling out Japanese forms, writing business cards, and localizing products for the Japanese market. Learn more in our English to Katakana guide.

The Japanese Writing System

Japanese uses three scripts together. Our tools handle conversion between all of them.

カ

Katakana

Angular characters for foreign words, loannames, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. 46 basic characters.

Examples: コーヒー (coffee), マイケル (Michael)

ひ

Hiragana

Curved characters for native Japanese words, grammar particles, verb endings, and children’s text.

Examples: こんにちは (hello), ありがとう (thank you)

漢

Kanji

Chinese-origin characters representing meanings. 2,136+ Joyo Kanji used in everyday Japanese.

Examples: 日本語 (Japanese), 東京 (Tokyo)

Why Use Our Conversion Tools

Our suite of Japanese transliteration tools covers every conversion path between English, Katakana, Hiragana, Kanji, and Romaji. Every tool runs entirely in your browser using phoneme-based analysis and morphological parsing — no server uploads, no data collection, no API keys.

All converters are free with unlimited use. Whether you need to convert your name for a Japanese form, prepare business cards, or localize content for the Japanese market, our tools produce instant, accurate results with full-width and half-width support.

Who Uses These Tools

  • Japanese language learners — practicing Katakana conversion and preparing for JLPT exams
  • Expats and foreign residents in Japan — filling out residence cards, bank accounts, phone contracts, and apartment leases
  • Business professionals — creating bilingual business cards, presentations, and company registration documents
  • Content creators and designers — logo design with Japanese text, product names, and marketing materials
  • Game and software developers — localization workflows and Japanese input system development
  • Anime, manga, and translation fans — converting names and text for creative projects

Popular Conversions

English InputKatakana OutputUse Case
MichaelマイケルCommon English name
SarahサラCommon English name
CoffeeコーヒーLoanword
ComputerコンピュータTechnical term
TokyoトウキョウPlace name
RestaurantレストランLoanword
InternetインターネットTechnology term
DavidデビッドPersonal name
SushiスシJapanese word in English
AlgorithmアルゴリズムTechnical term

Try it yourself — enter any English text above and click Convert to Katakana for instant results. See more examples in our English Name to Katakana tool.

Katakana Quick Reference

The 46 basic Katakana characters — view the full chart with all 104 characters, including dakuten, handakuten, and yōn combos.

Rowaiueo
—アイウエオ
Kカキクケコ
Sサシスセソ
Tタチツテト
Nナニヌネノ
Hハヒフヘホ
Mマミムメモ
Yヤ—ユ—ヨ
Rラリルレロ
W/Nワ———ヲ / ン

Voiced variants (dakuten ゛) add ゛ to create ga, za, da, ba rows, and handakuten ゜ creates the pa row. See the full dakuten chart, handakuten chart, and yōn combos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about our Japanese transliteration tools.

What is the best English to Katakana converter?

Our English to Katakana converter uses phoneme-based analysis with 100+ pronunciation rules and a built-in loanword dictionary. It runs entirely in your browser — no API calls, no data sent to servers, and instant results.

Are these Japanese conversion tools free?

Yes, all tools are 100% free with no usage limits. No registration, no payment, and no hidden fees. Convert unlimited text, names, and documents.

Do I need to register to use the converters?

No registration is required. Open the site, enter your text, and convert instantly. There are no accounts, no signups, and no tracking.

Is my text data stored or private?

Your text never leaves your browser. All conversions run locally in JavaScript — no data is sent to any server. Your privacy is fully protected.

Can I convert my English name to Katakana?

Yes. Enter your name in the converter above or use our dedicated English Name to Katakana tool for names optimized with established Japanese spellings for common names like Michael (マイケル), Sarah (サラ), and David (デビッド).

What is the difference between Katakana and Hiragana?

Katakana has angular characters and is used for foreign words, loanwords, and names. Hiragana has curved characters and is used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb endings. Both have 46 basic characters.

How accurate is the English to Katakana conversion?

English to Katakana conversion is phonetic approximation — it maps English sounds to the closest Japanese syllables. Common names and loanwords are highly accurate due to our dictionary. Rare or unusual words may have multiple valid spellings.