en-ka (English to Katakana Converter)

A smart CLI tool that converts English words to Japanese Katakana using the comprehensive JMDict dictionary.

Quick Start

# Install
pnpm install -g en-ka

# Basic usage
en-ka computer          # → コンピューター [COMMON]
en-ka beer             # → ビール [COMMON], ビア [COMMON]

Features

• 🎯 Smart search modes - precise or broad results
• 📊 Relevance scoring - intelligent result ranking
• 🔍 Fuzzy search - handles typos and partial matches
• 📚 Rich output - kanji, hiragana, romaji, and meanings
• ⚡ Fast local search - indexed dictionary data
• 💡 Helpful suggestions - guides when no results found

Search Modes

en-ka offers three search modes to match your needs:

🎯 Strict Mode (Default)

Only exact word matches

en-ka mobile           # No results (no exact "mobile" entry)
en-ka computer         # → コンピューター [COMMON]

🔍 Normal Mode

Includes compound words

en-ka mobile --mode normal     # → モービルハウス [mobile house], etc.
en-ka beer --mode normal       # → ビール + ビアガーデン [beer garden]

🌐 Broad Mode

All related terms including descriptions

en-ka mobile --mode broad      # All mobile-related terms

Smart Suggestions

When no results are found, en-ka suggests what to try next:

$ en-ka mobile
No results found for "mobile"

Try different search modes:
  en-ka mobile --mode normal   # Include compound words
  en-ka mobile --mode broad    # Include all related terms
  en-ka mobile --fuzzy         # Enable fuzzy matching

Suggestions:
  mob, mobile, mobilisation, mobilise, mobility

Usage Examples

Basic Searches

en-ka computer          # → コンピューター
en-ka coffee           # → コーヒー
en-ka programming      # → プログラミング

When You Get No Results

en-ka mobile           # Try: --mode normal
en-ka smartphone       # Try: --mode normal or --fuzzy

Fuzzy Search for Typos

en-ka databse --fuzzy          # → データベース (corrects typo)
en-ka compter --mode normal --fuzzy  # Computer + related terms

Detailed Output

en-ka computer -v
# 1. コンピューター [COMMON]
#    Hiragana: こんぴゅーたー
#    Romaji: konpyūtā
#    Meaning: computer, electronic brain

Limit Results

en-ka game -m 3        # Show only top 3 results

Commands

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | en-ka <word> | Convert English word to katakana | | en-ka suggest <partial> | Get word suggestions | | en-ka update | Update dictionary data |

Options

| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | --mode <mode> | Search mode: strict, normal, broad (default: strict) | | --fuzzy | Enable fuzzy search for typos | | -v, --verbose | Show hiragana, romaji, detailed meaning | | -m, --max <number> | Maximum results (default: 10) |

Installation

From npm (Recommended)

npm install -g en-ka

From Source

git clone https://github.com/tolluset/en-ka.git
cd en-ka
pnpm install && pnpm build
pnpm install -g .

Data Source

Uses JMDict Japanese-Multilingual Dictionary via jmdict-simplified.

License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0

Dictionary downloads automatically on first use.

Development

pnpm run dev              # Development mode
pnpm run build            # Build
pnpm run lint:type-check  # Type checking
pnpm run lint-fix         # Fix linting

License

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License