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U+30FA, ヺ
KATAKANA LETTER VO
Composition: [U+30F2] + ◌゙ [U+3099]

[U+30F9]
Katakana
[U+30FB]

Japanese

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [vo̞]
  • IPA(key): [bo̞] (some speakers, especially older people)

Syllable

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(vo

  1. (rare, dated) The katakana syllable (vo). Its equivalent in hiragana is を゙ (vo).

Usage notes

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  • The katakana syllabary is used primarily for transcription of foreign language words into Japanese and the writing of gairaigo (loan words), as well as to represent onomatopoeias, technical and scientific terms, and the names of plants, animals, and minerals. It is also occasionally used in some words for emphasis, or to ease reading; katakana may be preferred for words becoming buried in the text if they are written under their canonical form in hiragana. Names of Japanese companies, as well as certain Japanese language words such as colloquial terms, are also sometimes written in katakana rather than the other systems. Formerly, female given names were often written in katakana.[edit]
  • This is a relatively recent addition to kana usage to represent the non-native sound vo. As such, this is only found in borrowed words. Many speakers, especially older people, may pronounce this more as bo, [bo̞].
  • This kana is rarely used, with ヴォ seeing more use.

See also

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The Katakana script
ア゙ カ゚カ̣ サ゚サ̅サ̣̅ タ゚タ̣ パ̣ ラ゚ 𛅧ン゙
イ゙イ゚ィ゚ キ゚キ̣ シ゚ チ゚チ̣チ̅チ̣̅ ピ̣ 𛄠 リ゚ 𛅤
ゥ゙ウ゚ウ̅ゥ̅ ㇰ゙ク゚ク̣ ㇲ゙ス゚ ツ゚ツ̣ツ̅ツ̣̅ ㇷ゚プ̣ ル゚ 𛄢
エ゙ [𛀀] ケ゚ケ̣ セ゚セ̅セ̣̅ テ゚テ̣ ペ̣  / 𛄡 レ゚ 𛅥
オ゙オ̅ォ̅ 𛅕コ゚コ̣コ̅ ソ゚ソ̅ソ̣̅ ㇳ゙ト゚ト̣ト̅ ポ̣ ロ゚ 𛅦
Halfwidth katakana characters
Taiwanese kana tone signs
Additional symbols