Avery, 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 |
| 버 | ㅂ + ㅓ | ㅂ b ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” | beo |
| 리 | ㄹ + ㅣ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” | ri |
Why Avery 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 has no “v” sound, so ㅂ (b) is used: 버.
- The “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 에이.
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 버.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 에이버리 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 에이버리예요 (je ireumeun eibeoriyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 에이버리 씨 or 에이버리 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.