Karen, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 캐 | ㅋ + ㅐ | ㅋ k ㅐ ae, like the a in “cat” | kae |
| 런 | ㄹ + ㅓ + ㄴ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” ㄴ n at the end | reon |
Why Karen is written this way
- Korean has one letter, ㄹ, for both “r” and “l”. At the start of a syllable it is a light, flapped sound between the two; at the end of a block it sounds like “l”.
- The short “a” of “cat” is written ㅐ (ae): 캐.
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 런.
- Karen ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 런 has ㄴ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 캐런 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 캐런이에요 (je ireumeun kaereonieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 캐런 씨 or 캐런 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.