How can I input small kana like ぃ, っ and ょ, or づ on a computer?

Several kana do not have any recognized official romanization. See What kana do not have romanized forms? for a full discussion. When they need to be typed on a computer, most input methods recognize several different ways of inputting these kana. As a group, ティ or ディ can usually be input as thi or dhi. Small kana like ぃ, っ and ょ can usually be input by typing x or l before, hence xi, xtu, and xyo. The づ kana in つづける should correspond to du in most input systems, but if not then dzu is usually OK.

To input the obsolete kana ゐ (wi) or ゑ (we), type wi or we and then use the henkan (kana to kanji) function, or type wyi and wye respectively. (See What is the use of the "we" and "wi" kana? for more on these symbols.) Copying and pasting the symbols is another alternative.

See What are the names of the Japanese non-kana, non-kanji symbols? for the names of various punctuation symbols, which can be used to input them. For example the middle dot used in katakana words like トム・クルーズ (Tom Cruise) can be input by typing nakaguro.

If you have questions, corrections, or comments, please contact Ben Bullock or use the discussion forum / Privacy policy


Book reviews	Convert Japanese numbers	Handwritten kanji recognition	Stroke order diagrams	Convert Japanese units