Aisha, letter by letter
Hangul is written in blocks. Each block is one syllable, built from a consonant, a vowel and sometimes a final consonant at the bottom.
| Block | Letters | How each letter sounds | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아 | ㅇ + ㅏ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅏ a, as in “father” | a |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 샤 | ㅅ + ㅑ | ㅅ s ㅑ ya | sya |
Why Aisha is written this way
- The “sh” sound is written as ㅅ plus a “y” vowel or ㅣ: 샤.
- The long “i” of “Mike” or “Ryan” is written as two vowels, 아 + 이: 아이.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Aisha sounds like a-i-sya.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 아이샤 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 아이샤예요 (je ireumeun aisyayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 아이샤 씨 or 아이샤 님.
Official documents such as your residence card use your name in English letters, as in your passport. The Hangul spelling is what friends, coworkers and baristas will write.