Anthony, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 앤 | ㅇ + ㅐ + ㄴ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅐ ae, like the a in “cat” ㄴ n at the end | aen |
| 서 | ㅅ + ㅓ | ㅅ s ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” | seo |
| 니 | ㄴ + ㅣ | ㄴ n ㅣ i, as in “see” | ni |
Why Anthony is written this way
- Korean has no “th” sound. It is usually written ㅅ (s), or ㅌ (t) / ㄷ (d) when that is closer to how the name is said.
- The short “a” of “cat” is written ㅐ (ae): 앤.
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 서.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 앤서니 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 앤서니예요 (je ireumeun aenseoniyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 앤서니 씨 or 앤서니 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.