Katakana Letter Small We

It helps write kwe or gwe after ク or グ.

In ク𛅥 and グ𛅥, this small kana modifies the kana before it, giving the combined sounds written kwe and gwe in Latin letters. Small kana can extend Japanese syllable spellings to represent sounds that ordinary kana do not cover neatly.

This is an evolved spelling convention, not a computer-created character. A 1941 Japanese dictionary records small-we spellings, along with an example in a Japanese company name; these examples place the form in an older tradition of marking labialized sounds.

When should I use the small we?

Use 𛅥 to transcribe a documented kwe or gwe sound, preserve a historical spelling, or reproduce a name that uses the older form. Its small size marks a spelling role; it is not simply a miniature version of full-size kana.

The small form marked labialized readings historically and is also used in specialist transcription of foreign sounds. For many modern foreign-word spellings, small katakana e ェ is more common, so 𛅥 is a specialized choice.