How to write Vanessa in katakana
Japanese writes foreign names in katakana, one of its two alphabets, by sound rather than by spelling. Vanessa becomes バネッサ, made of these parts:
| Katakana | Sound | Note |
|---|---|---|
| バ | ba | |
| ネ | ne | |
| ッ | – | small tsu: a short pause that doubles the next sound |
| サ | sa |
You may also see Vanessa written ヴァネッサ (Vanessa). Both are used; バネッサ is the more common spelling.
When you write a full name, Japanese puts a middle dot between the first and last name, for example バネッサ・スミス for Vanessa Smith.