Diana, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 다 | ㄷ + ㅏ | ㄷ d ㅏ a, as in “father” | da |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 애 | ㅇ + ㅐ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅐ ae, like the a in “cat” | ae |
| 나 | ㄴ + ㅏ | ㄴ n ㅏ a, as in “father” | na |
Why Diana is written this way
- The long “i” of “Mike” or “Ryan” is written as two vowels, 아 + 이: 다이.
- The short “a” of “cat” is written ㅐ (ae): 애.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Diana sounds like da-i-ae-na.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 다이애나 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 다이애나예요 (je ireumeun daiaenayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 다이애나 씨 or 다이애나 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.