How do you say "sea otter" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "sea otter" is ラッコ (rakko). It is a noun pronounced "rah-kkoh".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of sea otter from Noun Town

Pronunciation

ラッコ is written in katakana. Romanised as rakko, it sounds roughly like "rah-kkoh" to an English ear.

Example sentence

ラッコは昼間よく眠ります。

Rakko wa hiruma yoku nemurimasu.

A sea otter often sleeps during the day.

Usage notes

Rakko (ラッコ) is the Japanese word for sea otter. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about ラッコ

How do you pronounce ラッコ?

ラッコ is romanised as rakko. Say it roughly like "rah-kkoh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ラッコ formal or casual?

ラッコ 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 ラッコ written in Japanese?

ラッコ 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.