What does the little っ (tsu) signify when at the end of a word?


The small っ (tsu) is usually used before a consonant to indicate gemination,
less technically known as doubled consonants, which is how they are
transliterated in romaji.

I have seen it at the end of some of what I call "vocal noises" where I
interpreted it as possibly a glottal stop. But the other day I saw it used on
an advertising poster on public transport at the end of a word. At least so it
looked. What does it signify in this case?

The text in the ad is:

> お待たせっ!
>
> 新しいタフマン
>
> 参上!!




It's a glottal stop, similar to the usage you mentioned (あっ, もうっ). It
signifies that the last mora is cut off abruptly. This can imply irritation
(なんだよっ "What!") or excitement (大変だっ "It's terrible!"). In print, it's a little
like adding an exclamation point to the end of the sentence.

