How do you say "octopus" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "octopus" is タコ (tako). It is a noun.

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of octopus from Noun Town

Pronunciation

タコ is written in katakana. Romanised as tako, it sounds roughly like "tah-koh" to an English ear.

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Questions about タコ

How do you pronounce タコ?

タコ is romanised as tako. Say it roughly like "tah-koh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is タコ formal or casual?

タコ is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is タコ written in Japanese?

タコ is written using katakana. Katakana is typically used for words of foreign origin or to give emphasis.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.