Liam, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 리 | ㄹ + ㅣ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” | ri |
| 암 | ㅇ + ㅏ + ㅁ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅏ a, as in “father” ㅁ m at the end | am |
Why Liam is written this way
- Liam ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 암 has ㅁ at the bottom.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Liam sounds like ri-am.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 리암 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 리암이에요 (je ireumeun riamieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 리암 씨 or 리암 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.