Emma, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 엠 | ㅇ + ㅔ + ㅁ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅔ e, as in “bed” ㅁ m at the end | em |
| 마 | ㅁ + ㅏ | ㅁ m ㅏ a, as in “father” | ma |
Why Emma is written this way
- Every sound in Emma has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 엠 (em) + 마 (ma).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Emma sounds like em-ma.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 엠마 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 엠마예요 (je ireumeun emmayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 엠마 씨 or 엠마 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.