Josh, 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 |
| 시 | ㅅ + ㅣ | ㅅ s ㅣ i, as in “see” | si |
Why Josh is written this way
- A final “sh” sound gets ㅣ (i) instead of ㅡ: 시.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Josh sounds like jo-si.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 조시 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 조시예요 (je ireumeun josiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 조시 씨 or 조시 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.