Grayson, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 그 | ㄱ + ㅡ | ㄱ g ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | geu |
| 레 | ㄹ + ㅔ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅔ e, as in “bed” | re |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 슨 | ㅅ + ㅡ + ㄴ | ㅅ s ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips ㄴ n at the end | seun |
Why Grayson 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 syllables can’t end in most consonant sounds, and two consonants can’t start one, so a soft ㅡ (eu) is added: 그. Say it lightly — it is barely heard.
- The “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 레이.
- Grayson ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 슨 has ㄴ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 그레이슨 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 그레이슨이에요 (je ireumeun geureiseunieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 그레이슨 씨 or 그레이슨 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.