エル
eru[e̞ɾɯ̟]
The English letter 'l' is written in Japanese as エル (eru).
エル is used to refer to the twelfth letter of the English alphabet.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is eru.
Did you know?
- Japanese learners of English often struggle with エル because the Japanese 'r' sound is a flap, which is a hybrid between the English 'l', 'r' and 'd'.
- Because Japanese lacks a distinct 'l' sound, エル is often used as a stylistic choice in the names of anime characters or brands to evoke a 'western' or 'elegant' feeling.
- When Japanese speakers spell words aloud, they use エル for 'l' and アール for 'r', even though these letters often sound identical when spoken in a Japanese sentence.
Examples in context
- イスマエルと呼んでください。Call me Ismaël.This sentence is useful for seeing how エル is used within a name.Tatoeba #2975791 by Fukuko, translation #1586520 by Gulliver
- こんにちはHello
- 本当にReally
- 遅れるTo be late
- ありがとうThank you
- わかりましたI understood
- すごいAmazing
- どうですかHow about it?
- アルファベットのエルを書きます。Arufabetto no eru o kakimasu.I will write the letter L of the alphabet.
- エルはどこですか？Eru wa doko desu ka?Where is the L?
Example conversation
Ren is helping Yui with an English alphabet quiz.
- 結衣 Yui次はエルを書いてください。Tsugi wa eru o kaite kudasai.Next, please write the letter L.
- 蓮 Renエルですね、わかりました。Eru desu ne, wakarimashita.The letter L, right? Understood.
- 結衣 Yui蓮さんはとても速いですね。Ren-san wa totemo hayai desu ne.Ren, you are very fast.
- 蓮 Renありがとうございます、結衣さん。Arigatou gozaimasu, Yui-san.Thank you, Yui.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry エル, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
