Angelina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안 | ㅇ + ㅏ + ㄴ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅏ a, as in “father” ㄴ n at the end | an |
| 젤 | ㅈ + ㅔ + ㄹ | ㅈ j ㅔ e, as in “bed” ㄹ l at the end | jel |
| 리 | ㄹ + ㅣ | ㄹ l (after another ㄹ) ㅣ i, as in “see” | ri |
| 나 | ㄴ + ㅏ | ㄴ n ㅏ a, as in “father” | na |
Why Angelina is written this way
- Between vowels, the “l” sound is written with two ㄹ — 젤리 — so it stays a clear “l”. A single ㄹ there would sound more like a soft “r”.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Angelina sounds like an-jel-ri-na.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 안젤리나 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 안젤리나예요 (je ireumeun anjellinayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 안젤리나 씨 or 안젤리나 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.