How to write Irving in katakana
Japanese writes foreign names in katakana, one of its two alphabets, by sound rather than by spelling. Irving becomes アービング, made of these parts:
| Katakana | Sound | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ア | a | |
| ー | – | long vowel mark: hold the sound before it a little longer |
| ビ | bi | |
| ン | n | n on its own |
| グ | gu |
You may also see Irving written アーヴィング (Āvingu). Both are used; アービング is the more common spelling.
When you write a full name, Japanese puts a middle dot between the first and last name, for example アービング・スミス for Irving Smith.