George, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 조 | ㅈ + ㅗ | ㅈ j ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) | jo |
| 지 | ㅈ + ㅣ | ㅈ j ㅣ i, as in “see” | ji |
Why George is written this way
- The “r” in George is not written. In Korean spelling, an “r” after a vowel is silent — much like in British English.
- A final “ge” sound gets ㅣ (i) instead of ㅡ: 지.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so George sounds like jo-ji.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 조지 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 조지예요 (je ireumeun jojiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 조지 씨 or 조지 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.