Amy, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 에 | ㅇ + ㅔ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅔ e, as in “bed” | e |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 미 | ㅁ + ㅣ | ㅁ m ㅣ i, as in “see” | mi |
Why Amy is written this way
- The “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 에이.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Amy sounds like e-i-mi.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 에이미 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 에이미예요 (je ireumeun eimiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 에이미 씨 or 에이미 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.