Olga, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 올 | ㅇ + ㅗ + ㄹ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) ㄹ l at the end | ol |
| 가 | ㄱ + ㅏ | ㄱ g ㅏ a, as in “father” | ga |
Why Olga is written this way
- Every sound in Olga has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 올 (ol) + 가 (ga).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Olga sounds like ol-ga.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 올가 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 올가예요 (je ireumeun olgayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 올가 씨 or 올가 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.