Whitney, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 휘 | ㅎ + ㅟ | ㅎ h ㅟ wi, like “wee” | hwi |
| 트 | ㅌ + ㅡ | ㅌ t ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | teu |
| 니 | ㄴ + ㅣ | ㄴ n ㅣ i, as in “see” | ni |
Why Whitney is written this way
- Korean syllables can’t end in most consonant sounds, and two consonants can’t start one, so a soft ㅡ (eu) is added: 트. Say it lightly — it is barely heard.
- Korean makes the “w” sound by joining two vowels into one: ㅗ or ㅜ plus the next vowel — 휘.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Whitney sounds like hwi-teu-ni.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 휘트니 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 휘트니예요 (je ireumeun hwiteuniyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 휘트니 씨 or 휘트니 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.