How to write Memphis in katakana
Japanese writes foreign names in katakana, one of its two alphabets, by sound rather than by spelling. Memphis becomes メンフィス, made of these parts:
| Katakana | Sound | Note |
|---|---|---|
| メ | me | |
| ン | n | n on its own |
| フィ | fi | two characters read as one sound |
| ス | su |
When you write a full name, Japanese puts a middle dot between the first and last name, for example メンフィス・スミス for Memphis Smith.