Halfwidth Katakana Mi

It is katakana mi in a halfwidth form. Its ordinary fullwidth counterpart is ミ. The two represent the same syllable, but are distinct character forms.

The compact computer form is tied to Japan’s 1969 JIS C 6220 standard, later known as JIS X 0201. It placed katakana in a compact 7- and 8-bit code set so terminals and data systems with limited character space could handle Japanese text. Later encodings, including Shift JIS, connected that older set with a larger fullwidth repertoire.

Why does ﾐ look different from ミ?

The difference is form and layout, not sound. Halfwidth describes a compatibility relationship to a fullwidth character; the actual space each glyph takes depends on the font and layout. Some fixed-width fonts show a sharp contrast, while others make it subtler.

NFKC normalization converts halfwidth katakana to its fullwidth compatibility form. That helps matching text, but removes the original width distinction, so avoid it when data must retain its exact form.

How do I type halfwidth katakana ﾐ?

Use a Japanese input method editor (IME) set to halfwidth conversion. Enter み or ミ, select it, then press F8 for half-width katakana. As of 2026, Microsoft documents F8 for this conversion.

For ordinary Japanese prose, use fullwidth ミ. Use ﾐ when a field or older format specifically requires halfwidth kana.

As of 2026, Japan’s National Tax Agency e-Tax help specifies halfwidth kana for a tax-payment name field used on ATM screens; Waseda’s account-registration guide also documents halfwidth-kana rules for bank account names.