How to write Sullivan in katakana
Japanese writes foreign names in katakana, one of its two alphabets, by sound rather than by spelling. Sullivan becomes サリバン, made of these parts:
| Katakana | Sound | Note |
|---|---|---|
| サ | sa | |
| リ | ri | |
| バ | ba | |
| ン | n | n on its own |
You may also see Sullivan written サリヴァン (Sarivan). Both are used; サリバン is the more common spelling.
When you write a full name, Japanese puts a middle dot between the first and last name, for example サリバン・スミス for Sullivan Smith.