West in Japanese Katakana

Tips for writing West in katakana

• Write the small ェ at about half size, in the lower left of the square (in horizontal writing). ウェ is one sound, we.
• Japanese syllables end in a vowel (except ン), so the final consonant of West becomes ト (to). Say it lightly.
• Katakana is written left to right like English, or top to bottom in vertical text. Keep every character the same size except the small ones.

West on Japanese forms

Example full name: John West → ジョン・ウェスト (Western order, names separated by ・).

Most Japanese forms put the family name first: ウェスト ジョン. In a フリガナ (furigana) field write it in katakana; if the field says ふりがな use hiragana (うぇすと じょん); some bank and card forms ask for half-width katakana (ｳｪｽﾄ ｼﾞｮﾝ).

Japan has no official katakana spelling for foreign names. Once you use a spelling for a bank account, phone contract or employer, keep using the same one so your records match.

FAQ

How do you write West in Japanese?

West is usually written ウェスト (wesuto) in katakana, the script Japanese uses for foreign names. In hiragana it is うぇすと.

Is there a kanji for West?

No. Foreign names have no official kanji; they are written in katakana. Kanji versions offered online (ateji) are chosen only for sound and look, and their "meanings" are made up, so this site does not provide them.