Riley, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 라 | ㄹ + ㅏ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅏ a, as in “father” | ra |
| 일 | ㅇ + ㅣ + ㄹ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” ㄹ l at the end | il |
| 리 | ㄹ + ㅣ | ㄹ l (after another ㄹ) ㅣ i, as in “see” | ri |
Why Riley is written this way
- Between vowels, the “l” sound is written with two ㄹ — 일리 — so it stays a clear “l”. A single ㄹ there would sound more like a soft “r”.
- Korean has one letter, ㄹ, for both “r” and “l”. At the start of a syllable it is a light, flapped sound between the two; at the end of a block it sounds like “l”.
- The long “i” of “Mike” or “Ryan” is written as two vowels, 아 + 이: 라일.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 라일리 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 라일리예요 (je ireumeun railliyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 라일리 씨 or 라일리 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.