Linda, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 린 | ㄹ + ㅣ + ㄴ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” ㄴ n at the end | rin |
| 다 | ㄷ + ㅏ | ㄷ d ㅏ a, as in “father” | da |
Why Linda is written this way
- Every sound in Linda has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 린 (rin) + 다 (da).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Linda sounds like rin-da.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 린다 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 린다예요 (je ireumeun rindayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 린다 씨 or 린다 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.