Claire, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 클 | ㅋ + ㅡ + ㄹ | ㅋ k ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips ㄹ l at the end | keul |
| 레 | ㄹ + ㅔ | ㄹ l (after another ㄹ) ㅔ e, as in “bed” | re |
| 어 | ㅇ + ㅓ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” | eo |
Why Claire 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”.
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 어.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Claire sounds like keul-re-eo.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 클레어 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 클레어예요 (je ireumeun keulleeoyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 클레어 씨 or 클레어 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.