Veronica, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 베 | ㅂ + ㅔ | ㅂ b ㅔ e, as in “bed” | be |
| 로 | ㄹ + ㅗ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) | ro |
| 니 | ㄴ + ㅣ | ㄴ n ㅣ i, as in “see” | ni |
| 카 | ㅋ + ㅏ | ㅋ k ㅏ a, as in “father” | ka |
Why Veronica is written this way
- 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”.
- Korean has no “v” sound, so ㅂ (b) is used: 베.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Veronica sounds like be-ro-ni-ka.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 베로니카 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 베로니카예요 (je ireumeun beronikayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 베로니카 씨 or 베로니카 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.