Ana, 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 |
| 나 | ㄴ + ㅏ | ㄴ n ㅏ a, as in “father” | na |
Why Ana is written this way
- Every sound in Ana has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 아 (a) + 나 (na).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Ana sounds like a-na.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 아나 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 아나예요 (je ireumeun anayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 아나 씨 or 아나 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.