Katakana Long Vowels and Small ッ: Katakana Flashcards Guide
What the katakana dash and small ッ do, why -er words end in アー, and pairs where one mark changes the word, with audio for every example.
Almost every katakana word uses one of two marks: a dash that stretches a vowel, or a small ッ (tsu) that adds a pause. Miss either one and you can end up saying a different word. Once you know your katakana flashcards, these two marks are the next thing to learn.
This guide explains both in plain words, with audio for every example.
What Are the Two Marks?
| Mark | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Long vowel mark (a dash) | コーヒー (koohii, coffee) | Holds the vowel before it for an extra beat. |
| Small ッ (tsu) | ベッド (beddo, bed) | A short pause before the next sound. |
Both add a beat to the word without adding a new sound. That's why they're easy to miss and important to learn.
Japanese counts sounds in beats, and each beat takes about the same time. So an extra beat really does change how a word sounds, even if it's just a held vowel or a short pause.
What Does the Long Vowel Mark Do?
The dash holds the vowel before it for one extra beat. Japan's official rules for writing loanwords say long vowels are written this way as a rule.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
コーヒー | koohii | coffee |
ケーキ | keeki | cake |
スーパー | suupaa | supermarket |
ゲーム | geemu | game |
ノート | nooto | notebook |
パーティー | paatii | party |
Hiragana does it differently, by adding a vowel. Compare:
| Script | Example | Long vowel |
|---|---|---|
| Hiragana | おかあさん (okaasan, mother) | Adds a vowel |
| Katakana | カード (kaado, card) | Uses a dash |
In vertical writing, the dash turns and runs down the page with the text.
Are there exceptions?
A few. The official rules note that some established words add a vowel instead of a dash, like バレエ (baree, ballet). Others write the sound as エイ (ei) or オウ (ou), like ペイント (peinto, paint) and ボウリング (bouringu, bowling).
You don't need to memorise these. Learn them as you meet them, and use the dash as your default.
| Word | Spelled with |
|---|---|
| バレエ (baree, ballet) | An extra vowel |
| ペイント (peinto, paint) | エイ (ei) |
| ボウリング (bouringu, bowling) | オウ (ou) |
Can length really change the word?
Yes. English doesn't usually use vowel length to tell words apart, so it's easy to miss. In Japanese it matters:
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
ビル | biru | building (short i) |
ビール | biiru | beer (long i) |
Ask for a ビル (biru) and you're asking for a building, not a beer.
What about words ending in -er?
English endings like -er, -or and -ar usually become a long a. The official rules allow the dash to be dropped where that's the custom, which is why you'll see both コンピューター (konpyuutaa) and コンピュータ (konpyuuta).
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
コンピューター | konpyuutaa | computer (also written コンピュータ) |
エレベーター | erebeetaa | lift, elevator (also エレベータ) |
ギター | gitaa | guitar |
マフラー | mafuraa | scarf |
What Does a Small ッ (tsu) Do?
A small ッ (tsu) works exactly like the small っ (tsu) in hiragana: a short stop before the next consonant. In romaji the consonant is doubled.
It often stands for a short, sharp vowel before a hard consonant in English: bed becomes ベッド (beddo), cup becomes カップ (kappu).
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
ベッド | beddo | bed |
カップ | kappu | cup |
ネット | netto | the internet; a net |
チケット | chiketto | ticket |
クッキー | kukkii | biscuit, cookie |
ショッピング | shoppingu | shopping |
Write it clearly smaller than a full ツ (tsu). ベッド (beddo) is a bed; with a full-size ツ (tsu) it isn't a word at all.
Where Will You See These Marks?
Everywhere. Shop signs, menus and packaging are full of them. A few you'll meet early, with audio:
| Where | Word | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping | スーパー (suupaa, supermarket) | Two long vowels |
| Shopping | デパート (depaato, department store) | Long a |
| Hotels | チェックイン (chekkuin, check-in) | Small ッ (tsu) |
| Cafés | クッキー (kukkii, biscuit) | Both marks |
クッキー (kukkii) has both: a pause after ク (ku), then a long i at the end. Read it slowly, then at normal speed.
How Do You Practise With Katakana Flashcards?
Character flashcards drill single characters, so these marks are best practised with whole words. Here's how:
- Warm up with the characters. Run a round of the katakana flashcards so the shapes are fresh.
- Read words with the marks. The Katakana Words flashcards are full of them.
- Clap the beats. コーヒー (koohii) is four claps: ko, o, hi, i. ベッド (beddo) is three: be, pause, do.
- Say it, then play it. Read each word out loud before checking the audio.
- Day 1: the long vowel mark. Read the tables above out loud.
- Day 2: small ッ (tsu). Clap the beats in each word.
- Day 3: mixed words from the Katakana Words flashcards.
- Every day: a quick warm-up round of katakana flashcards.
- Say every word before you play the audio.
Any Tips to Remember Them?
- Think in beats. Every katakana character is one beat, and so are the dash and the small ッ (tsu).
- Listen for the English. A long English vowel, like the ee in cheese, usually gets a dash: チーズ (chiizu).
- Short and sharp means ッ (tsu). Words like cup, bed and net, with a short vowel and a hard stop, usually get one.
How Long Does It Take to Get Used to Them?
The rules take a few minutes to learn. Hearing and saying them naturally takes a week or two of reading loanwords out loud.
The quickest way is volume: read ten to twenty katakana words a day, clap the beats in the tricky ones, and check yourself with the audio. You'll soon notice a missing dash the way you'd notice a typo in English.
What Mistakes Do Beginners Make?
- Ignoring the dash. ビール (biiru, beer) and ビル (biru, building) are different words.
- Reading ッ (tsu) as tsu. It's a pause, not a sound.
- Writing ッ (tsu) full size. Keep it small.
- Using the dash in hiragana. Hiragana adds a vowel instead.
What Comes Next?
- Sounds like ファ (fa) and ティ (ti): Extended Katakana.
- How English words become katakana: English to Katakana.
- The hiragana version of these rules: Hiragana Spelling Rules.
Where Can You Practise for Free?
The katakana flashcards on JLPTCARDS.com are free for the basic and dakuten sets, with accuracy tracking. The Katakana Words flashcards give you real loanwords to read.
Practise the Words
Tap a card to flip it.
Frequently asked questions
What does the dash in katakana mean?
It's the long vowel mark. It holds the vowel before it for one more beat: コーヒー (koohii) is ko-o-hi-i.
Is the long vowel mark used in hiragana?
Almost never. Hiragana writes long vowels by adding a vowel, like おかあさん (okaasan). The dash is a katakana thing, apart from casual writing.
What does a small ッ (tsu) do?
It adds a short pause before the next consonant. In romaji the consonant is doubled: ベッド (beddo, bed).
Why is computer sometimes コンピュータ (konpyuuta) without the dash?
Japan's official loanword rules allow the dash on -er endings to be dropped where that's the custom, so you'll see both spellings.
Do I need to learn these before reading katakana words?
Learn them early. They're in so many words that you'll meet them on day one of reading loanwords.
Which way does the dash go in vertical text?
It turns to run down the page, following the direction of the writing.
Two Marks, Dozens of Words
The dash and the small ッ (tsu) are in almost every katakana word you'll read. Learn them now, then practise with katakana flashcards and real loanwords until you stop noticing them.
Open the free katakana flashcards on JLPTCARDS.com, warm up with a round, then read ten words with a dash.
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō), The Writing of Loanwords (Gairaigo no hyōki), Cabinet Notice No. 2, 1991: notes on small ッ (tsu), the long vowel mark and -er, -or, -ar endings. https://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/sisaku/joho/joho/kijun/naikaku/gairai/pdf/94380801_03.pdf