How do you say "raccoon" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "raccoon" is アライグマ (araiguma). It is a noun.

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of raccoon from Noun Town

Pronunciation

アライグマ is written in katakana. Romanised as araiguma, it sounds roughly like "ah-rah-ee-goo-mah" to an English ear.

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Questions about アライグマ

How do you pronounce アライグマ?

アライグマ is romanised as araiguma. Say it roughly like "ah-rah-ee-goo-mah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is アライグマ formal or casual?

アライグマ 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 アライグマ written in Japanese?

アライグマ 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.