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As mentioned on the Hiragana page, the Japanese alphabetize according to the table of 50 sounds. The kanji are never considered when it comes to alphabetization. But there are also variations and combinations, and Katakana. How do they relate to one another when alphabetizing?
The solution is simple: all variations are considered equal. Katakana are equal to Hiragana, variations are equal to the regular kana, and small kana are considered equal to their full size counterparts.
The chouonfugou (ー) is considered to be equal to the ア/イ/ウ/エ/オ, depending on which sound it represents.
So you would find the following entries in a dictionary:
| かあ |
|
kaa |
a crow's caw; cawing |
| カー |
|
kaa |
a car |
| があがあ |
|
gaagaa |
a duck's quack; a frog's croak |
| カーキいろ |
カーキ色 |
kaakiiro |
khaki |
| かあさん |
母さん |
kaasan |
(米) one's mom; (英) one's mum |
| |
| びしゅう |
美醜 |
bishuu |
beauty (or ugliness); looks; appearance |
| ひじゅつ |
秘術 |
hijutsu |
a secret art; the mysteries of an art |
| びじゅつ |
美術 |
bijutsu |
fine art(s); art |
| |
| りょかん |
旅館 |
ryokan |
a ryokan; a Japanese style hotel (inn) |
| りよく |
利欲 |
riyoku |
greed (for gain [profits]); avarice |
| りょくいん |
緑陰 |
ryokuin |
in the shade of trees; in a shady nook |
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Only when words consist of the exact same kana is the preference given in the listing order to hiragana over katakana, the basic kana over its variations, and the regular size over its smaller counterpart. |
