Betty, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 베 | ㅂ + ㅔ | ㅂ b ㅔ e, as in “bed” | be |
| 티 | ㅌ + ㅣ | ㅌ t ㅣ i, as in “see” | ti |
Why Betty is written this way
- Every sound in Betty has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 베 (be) + 티 (ti).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Betty sounds like be-ti.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 베티 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 베티예요 (je ireumeun betiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 베티 씨 or 베티 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.