Phonetikana: For the Lazy Typography Snob in All of Us

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Johnson Banks recently put up a post about “phonetikana” which has to either be the most genius discovery of all time, or the laziest. Either way, there’s no denying that it’s beautiful, regardless, but you know me, I hate romaji with a passion (and you should too).

Here’s the concept behind phonetikana: 1. Katakana is irritating to learn / you don’t have the time to learn it / you’re lazy. 2. Katakana often spells out words that English speakers can kind-of-sort-of understand. 3. If you add the English phonetic pronunciation to the katakana, you’ll be able to read it and possibly decipher it. 4. Integrate it into the actual katakana to get that “aww, that’s boootiful effect.”

Let’s put it more simply (and visually). Here’s how you’d write “Uniqlo” in Japanese (Uniqlo is a big ol’ Japanese clothes company).

uniqlo1

Now, let’s phonetikana it!

uniqlo2

Now you can read it phonetically! Yoo-Nee-Koo-Roh. Doesn’t get you perfect pronunciation, but close enough for someone who doesn’t really want to learn Japanese in the first place.

moobaa

What does a Cow say? Good job!

topbanana

Who’s the top Banana here? Profess your Top-banana-ness in the comments below!

There are a ton more examples over on Johnson Bank‘s post about phonetikana. If you haven’t gotten all the Top Bananas you can handle, be sure to go take a look. It’s pretty fascinating. I’ve always been into typography, but am totally incapable of making anything look nice (Anyone want to teach me about typography on eduFire? I’ll pay you).

Please start a flame war in the comments arguing about who’s the top banana, please, please, please. Use logic to prove your perspectives.

  • http://www.yokazeblog.com Rukishou

    I hate romaji too (like you, “with passion”) but these “phonetikanas” do look kinda nice, and even though I think there are better ways to describe Japanese sounds this could be useful in Japanese course – perhaps only for those who are already familiar with the appearance of most katakana though.

    By the way, does anybody think the katakana プ (pu) looks like a poo… in any way? No? Well, it could've been a fun to remember it early on. xD

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    I am the Top Banana.

    Logic = I ate a banana this morning and it wasn't even ripe yet, therefor, I am Top Banana.

  • JeanOurexplorerTourGuide

    Interesting. But feel it an extra effort. May be easy to get in. But if people can't understand you clearly, still have to learn the basic Japanese.

  • Mashimaro

    Hmm,I hate romaji as well.This is a stupid idea,kana is easy to learn!
    I'm the top banana!

  • burden_ataraxia

    I don't know. I can read katakana just fine, but when I saw this, all I saw was the romaji. I didn't really pay so much attention to the actual katakana, and that really bothered me. I felt like a total cheater and that the time I spent learning to read katakana went to waste.

  • kanmuri

    I hate romaji. Romaji dictionary should be abolished.
    Saying you have “no time” to learn katakana is like saying you won't learn half the letters in the roman alphabet because you can't be bothered. The phonetikana are cute, but as a learning tool, they suck. You end up only looking at the alphabet part.

  • krusha

    “1. Katakana is irritating to learn / you don’t have the time to learn it / you’re lazy.”
    If any of these are true, one should give up on learning Japanese and save themselves years of turmoil.

    These are mildly interesting from a design aesthetic, but it's ridiculous to try and shoehorn them into a way of studying Japanese.

    And cows say モー not ムー.

  • Will

    I tried to duplicate Koichi's feat, but when I went to take a bite out of the premature banana, it simply ripened in my hand. I suppose that make me top banana.

  • Keta

    Obviously I am the top banana because I learned katakana before I learned hiragana and I found it easier without this phonetikana business, although it is a pretty nifty font.

    @krusha: Also , ムー is closer in pronunciation to the English “moo” than モー, which would rhyme with “toe”. Can't go by romanization spellings. On the other hand, cows do not eat bananas, so, they are ineligible to be top bananas. Which is why I am top banana, because I am not a cow.

  • Jonny

    Matsuo Basho is top banana
    Logic: based on my experience there is most likely one or more statues commemorating a haiku he wrote about bananas

  • topbananaz

    APPELZ ARE BLEU THEREFORE I ARE TOP BANANAZ.

  • Keta

    Meaning you're not a top banana, as appelz aren't bleu there. :<

    Too bad, so sad.

  • Jonny

    Matsuo Basho is top banana
    Logic: based on my experience there is most likely one or more statues commemorating a haiku he wrote about bananas

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    oh shnap!

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    I'm still waiting for someone to call someone else's mom a top banana…

  • http://twitter.com/Riechanster Valerie

    I think it's a great thing (no I”m not lazy, I don't find it irritating to learn and well I don't have much time but I can make time ;) ).
    I am a very visual learner so when I looked at these things, I think it will be easier for me to connect the meaning of the katakana with the sign.

  • Digger

    Yeah, well, I ate a banana about two hours ago (srsly) and it was *perfect*, so I'm Top Banana.

  • krusha

    No, I mean in Japanese cows say モー not ムー. And sheep say メー not バー.

  • juliaher

    It bothers me that these say “soo” and “hee” instead of “suu” and “hii”, etc.

    probably because that means it's made for students of japanese whose first language is english and I am not one of those which renders the whole thing pretty useless to me.

    but I can read katakana just fine so i guess i shouldn't be complaining.

    also, next commenter's mom is a top banana

  • Moracnoy

    Who, me?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Zhana-Welch/1507834136 Zhana Welch

    Koichi's mom is a top banana! Ooohhhh burn!
    =P

  • zizero

    This is a chicanery!
    ***kidding***

  • Taiga

    mm noo…hiragana is easier,,,or maybe I got my brain to the limit with hiragana so I cant stick katakana inside TT

  • Mashimaro

    That's true hiragana is easier,but katakana took me about a month,and I wasn't studying it that often during that month lol.Knowing hiragana made it easier though,cause I learned katakana by using hiragana as a reference.

  • Brian

    Kind of late to post a comment on here but the movie Helvetica (http://www.helveticafilm.com/) is a good documentary about typography. I think its about $3 USD to rent it on iTunes if you are interested.

  • dvorask

    I hate romaji too…. if someone writes something to me in romaji I completely ignore it.

  • Rochella

    lol they are in japan!

  • Adam

    ditto, though I have to admit, katakana is really a waste of time. It only comes in handy when you are reading menus at Mcdonalds.

  • http://www.handbags-club.com/ Designerhandbags

    APPELZ ARE BLEU THEREFORE I ARE TOP BANANAZ.

  • http://www.handbags-club.com/ Designerhandbags

    APPELZ ARE BLEU THEREFORE I ARE TOP BANANAZ.

  • http://twitter.com/azutoame azuma mutea

    ye. it helps…for me. to be honest, i hate katakana.

  • http://www.thonginphone.com ภาษาเกาหลี

    the read font very hard.

  • Kisakushi Mari Degard

    It doesn’t help me at all since my mother tongue is Spanish. In Spanish the vowels pronunciation is pretty much the same as Japanese so it really annoys me that somehow I end up double-translating the words (to English pronuncation and then to Japanese). Which is also the reason why although many people talk wonders about Heisig’s mnemonyc method I’ve never tried them since it would go against my natural pronunciation pattern.
    It’s a shame since I do believe that the radicals part would help me greatly…