What does kana mean in English?

The Japanese word "kana" refers to a group of phonetic characters used in the Japanese writing system. There are two types of kana: hiragana and katakana. Hiragana is used for writing native Japanese words, while katakana is used for writing foreign words, loanwords, and scientific terms. Kana characters represent individual syllables, rather than words or meanings like kanji characters. They are an essential component of the Japanese writing system and complement the use of kanji to create a versatile and efficient way to write the Japanese language.