Naomi, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 나 | ㄴ + ㅏ | ㄴ n ㅏ a, as in “father” | na |
| 오 | ㅇ + ㅗ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) | o |
| 미 | ㅁ + ㅣ | ㅁ m ㅣ i, as in “see” | mi |
Why Naomi is written this way
- Every sound in Naomi has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 나 (na) + 오 (o) + 미 (mi).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Naomi sounds like na-o-mi.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 나오미 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 나오미예요 (je ireumeun naomiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 나오미 씨 or 나오미 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.