Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels

Build katakana fluency with the long vowel mark ー and common everyday loanwords.

Notice how ー stretches the vowel sound before it.Read familiar katakana words with long vowels more smoothly.Keep longer loanwords in sound-sized chunks instead of letter by letter.

About 9 minutes · written and reviewed by Haruki Yamamoto

Lesson article

Spot the signal, compare it, then read it in context

Read all 3 sections in order. Notice the target form, compare it with the nearby alternative, then use the reading and practice below to check the meaning in context.

Section 1 of 3

The long vowel mark ー

The long vowel mark ー stretches the sound before it. A word with ー is not just longer on the page; the sound itself is held a little longer.

Target signal
スーパー
supermarket
Notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels shapes the meaning of this sentence in context.
Vocabulary notes
スーパー
supermarket
Compare in context
メール
mail / email
Notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels shapes the meaning of this sentence in context.
Vocabulary notes
メール
email; mail
Compare in context
コーヒー
coffee
Notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels shapes the meaning of this sentence in context.
Vocabulary notes
コーヒー
coffee
コ
katakana letter ko

Section 2 of 3

Common long-vowel words

Many high-frequency katakana words use the long vowel mark. The goal is to recognize the shape quickly and hear the stretched vowel in your head.

Target signal
ケーキ
cake
Notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels shapes the meaning of this sentence in context.
Vocabulary notes
ケーキ
cake
ケ
katakana letter ke
キ
katakana letter ki
Preview
ゲーム
game
Notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels shapes the meaning of this sentence in context.
Vocabulary notes
ゲーム
game
Preview
タクシー
taxi
Notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels shapes the meaning of this sentence in context.
Vocabulary notes
タクシー
taxi
ク
katakana letter ku

Section 3 of 3

Read mixed katakana shapes smoothly

Some common words have ー and some do not. Check where the long vowel mark appears instead of assuming that every katakana word stretches the same way.

Target signal
テーブル
table
Notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels shapes the meaning of this sentence in context.
Vocabulary notes
テーブル
table
Preview
ノート
notebook
Notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels shapes the meaning of this sentence in context.
Vocabulary notes
ノート
notebook
Preview
ホテル
hotel
Notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels shapes the meaning of this sentence in context.
Vocabulary notes
ホテル
hotel

Reading in context

Read for meaning before checking the answer

Before you read

Read once for the situation. Then notice how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels changes the meaning before you check the translation.

スーパーメールコーヒーケーキゲームタクシーテーブルノートホテルもう一度読みましょう。もう一度読みましょう。もう一度読みましょう。もう一度読みま

Show English translation

supermarket mail / email coffee cake game taxi table notebook hotel

Contextual questions

Answer from the passage before you reveal each explanation.

What is the first reading job for this passage?
- Identify the situation and how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels changes it.
- Translate every word before using context.
- Ignore the ending because only vocabulary matters.
- Choose an answer before reading the full passage.
Check the answer
Identify the situation and how Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels changes it.
The goal is to use the situation first, then confirm the role of Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels in context.

Guided practice

Apply the lesson in a few different ways

Work through each prompt, then check the explanation before moving on.

Activity 1 of 4Choose the best context

What does the mark ー usually show in katakana?

Activity 2 of 4Fill the blank

Complete the chunk that carries the lesson meaning (Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels).

＿＿＿

Your answer

Activity 3 of 4Put it in order

Put these related examples back into the order used in the lesson.

1メール
2コーヒー
3スーパー

Activity 4 of 4Infer from the passage

What should guide your interpretation of Katakana II: Loanwords and Long Vowels in the mini-reading?

Mastery check 1/4