Wyatt, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 와 | ㅇ + ㅘ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅘ wa, as in “wow” | wa |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 엇 | ㅇ + ㅓ + ㅅ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” ㅅ t (unreleased) at the end | eot |
Why Wyatt is written this way
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 엇.
- Korean makes the “w” sound by joining two vowels into one: ㅗ or ㅜ plus the next vowel — 와.
- Wyatt ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 엇 has ㅅ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 와이엇 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 와이엇이에요 (je ireumeun waieosieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 와이엇 씨 or 와이엇 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.