小説|しょうせつshousetsu[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounnovel; story; (work of) fiction
   事実じじつは小説しょうせつよりも奇きなり。↗

   Fact is stranger than fiction.

   トムは小説しょうせつを読よんでいる。↗

   Tom is reading a novel.

• SynonymノベルNeutralA loanword for 'novel', seen mostly in series and genre names like 「ライトノベル」 and 「ノベルス」; on its own it is less common than 「小説」.
• RelatedロマンWrittenA written-style kanji spelling of 「ロマン」; it refers to romantic feeling or a legendary tale, and in modern usage is not a general word for novels.

For novels in general, 「小説」 is the default. 「ノベル」 turns up in book-series and genre names like 「ライトノベル」; 「浪漫」 usually means romantic longing or a legendary tale, not fiction as a whole.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 散文さんぶんで作成さくせいされた虚構きょこうの物語ものがたり。