# katakana

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌkætəˈkænə/ · frequency rank #64,470

## Definitions
1. 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.
2. A character thereof.

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

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/katakana