...Tanooki (sometimes spelled tanuki) is not pronounced ta-nu-kay, but ta-nu-kee.

I guess this is an easy mistake to make, since a lotta Japanese words end in "ay" that are usually pronouced "ee" in America. (like karate, usually pronounced ka-RA-tee, but should be ka-ra-teh; and the movie Princess Mononoke)

One of the many suits mario can grab

In ancient Japanese lore, the Tanooki was a raccoon-like animal that had the ability to turn into stone when threatened by predators.

A misspelling of tanuki. In America, and rest of the Anglophone world this is most likely due to the mistranslation in the video game Super Mario Brothers 3. The mistranslation may also have been intentional as it is easier for the English speaker to verbalise without a working knowledge of the Japanese langauge and pronunciation system.

A god like creature capable of creating life and giving death.