How to write David in katakana
Japanese writes foreign names in katakana, one of its two alphabets, by sound rather than by spelling. David becomes デイビッド, made of these parts:
| Katakana | Sound | Note |
|---|---|---|
| デ | de | |
| イ | i | |
| ビ | bi | |
| ッ | – | small tsu: a short pause that doubles the next sound |
| ド | do |
You may also see David written デヴィッド (Deviddo). Both are used; デイビッド is the more common spelling.
When you write a full name, Japanese puts a middle dot between the first and last name, for example デイビッド・スミス for David Smith.