also: ちょうちょ
noun
General word for butterfly; used in everyday speech and writing.
庭にきれいな蝶々が飛んできた。
A beautiful butterfly flew into the garden.
子どもがちょうちょを追いかけている。
The child is chasing a butterfly.
Standard kanji spelling; the repetition mark 々 is common.
Katakana spelling, often used in informal or child-oriented contexts.
Common colloquial or child-friendly kana spelling.
Alternate kanji spelling without the repetition mark; less common but still used.
Means 'moth'; often contrasted with 蝶々 in terms of appearance and activity (butterflies are typically diurnal and colorful, moths nocturnal and duller).
Reduplication of 蝶 (ちょう, 'butterfly'), with the second character often written as 々. The colloquial form ちょうちょ is a common sound shift.