Monica, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 모 | ㅁ + ㅗ | ㅁ m ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) | mo |
| 니 | ㄴ + ㅣ | ㄴ n ㅣ i, as in “see” | ni |
| 카 | ㅋ + ㅏ | ㅋ k ㅏ a, as in “father” | ka |
Why Monica is written this way
- Every sound in Monica has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 모 (mo) + 니 (ni) + 카 (ka).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Monica sounds like mo-ni-ka.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 모니카 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 모니카예요 (je ireumeun monikayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 모니카 씨 or 모니카 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.