Ava, 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 |
| 바 | ㅂ + ㅏ | ㅂ b ㅏ a, as in “father” | ba |
Why Ava is written this way
- Korean has no “v” sound, so ㅂ (b) is used: 바.
- 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 Ava sounds like e-i-ba.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 에이바 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 에이바예요 (je ireumeun eibayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 에이바 씨 or 에이바 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.