Taylor, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 테 | ㅌ + ㅔ | ㅌ t ㅔ e, as in “bed” | te |
| 일 | ㅇ + ㅣ + ㄹ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” ㄹ l at the end | il |
| 러 | ㄹ + ㅓ | ㄹ l (after another ㄹ) ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” | reo |
Why Taylor is written this way
- Between vowels, the “l” sound is written with two ㄹ — 일러 — 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 “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 테일.
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 러.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 테일러 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 테일러예요 (je ireumeun teilleoyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 테일러 씨 or 테일러 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.