April, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 에 | ㅇ + ㅔ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅔ e, as in “bed” | e |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 프 | ㅍ + ㅡ | ㅍ p ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | peu |
| 릴 | ㄹ + ㅣ + ㄹ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” ㄹ l at the end | ril |
Why April is written this way
- Korean has one letter, ㄹ, for both “r” and “l”. At the start of a syllable it is a light, flapped sound between the two; at the end of a block it sounds like “l”.
- Korean syllables can’t end in most consonant sounds, and two consonants can’t start one, so a soft ㅡ (eu) is added: 프. Say it lightly — it is barely heard.
- The “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 에이.
- April ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 릴 has ㄹ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 에이프릴 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 에이프릴이에요 (je ireumeun eipeuririeyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 에이프릴 씨 or 에이프릴 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.