Lincoln, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 링 | ㄹ + ㅣ + ㅇ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” ㅇ ng, as in “sing” at the end | ring |
| 컨 | ㅋ + ㅓ + ㄴ | ㅋ k ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” ㄴ n at the end | keon |
Why Lincoln is written this way
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 컨.
- Lincoln ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 컨 has ㄴ at the bottom.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Lincoln sounds like ring-keon.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 링컨 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 링컨이에요 (je ireumeun ringkeonieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 링컨 씨 or 링컨 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.