Muhammad, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 무 | ㅁ + ㅜ | ㅁ m ㅜ u, as in “moon” | mu |
| 함 | ㅎ + ㅏ + ㅁ | ㅎ h ㅏ a, as in “father” ㅁ m at the end | ham |
| 마 | ㅁ + ㅏ | ㅁ m ㅏ a, as in “father” | ma |
| 드 | ㄷ + ㅡ | ㄷ d ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | deu |
Why Muhammad is written this way
- Korean syllables can’t end in most consonant sounds, and two consonants can’t start one, so a soft ㅡ (eu) is added: 드. Say it lightly — it is barely heard.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Muhammad sounds like mu-ham-ma-deu.
- Fun fact: Mohammed is written exactly the same way in Korean — 무함마드.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 무함마드 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 무함마드예요 (je ireumeun muhammadeuyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 무함마드 씨 or 무함마드 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.