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