Amanda, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아 | ㅇ + ㅏ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅏ a, as in “father” | a |
| 만 | ㅁ + ㅏ + ㄴ | ㅁ m ㅏ a, as in “father” ㄴ n at the end | man |
| 다 | ㄷ + ㅏ | ㄷ d ㅏ a, as in “father” | da |
Why Amanda is written this way
- Every sound in Amanda has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 아 (a) + 만 (man) + 다 (da).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Amanda sounds like a-man-da.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 아만다 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 아만다예요 (je ireumeun amandayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 아만다 씨 or 아만다 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.