Japanese plum; Prunus salicina
Refers to the fruit of the Japanese plum tree, a small, round, often reddish or yellowish stone fruit. Not to be confused with 梅 (ume) or Western plums.
In summer, Japanese plums appear in storefronts.
すももは甘酸っぱくておいしい。
Japanese plums are sweet and sour and delicious.
梅 is the Japanese apricot mainly used for pickling into umeboshi, while すもも is the Japanese plum, a different fruit usually eaten fresh, and the two are often confused by learners.
プラム is the general loanword for Western plums, which are larger and sweeter, while すもも refers specifically to the smaller, tarter Japanese plum.
桃 (もも) and すもも sound similar and are both stone fruits, but すもも is the Japanese plum, a different and much smaller fruit.
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
Katakana spelling used in botanical or commercial contexts.
Kanji form is rarely used; the word is usually written in kana.
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
The word すもも is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 李 is a Chinese character for plum, but its use for すもも is conventional rather than etymologically transparent. The exact derivation of the reading is uncertain.