Isaac, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아 | ㅇ + ㅏ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅏ a, as in “father” | a |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 작 | ㅈ + ㅏ + ㄱ | ㅈ j ㅏ a, as in “father” ㄱ k (unreleased) at the end | jak |
Why Isaac is written this way
- The “s” in Isaac is said like “z”, and Korean writes that sound with ㅈ (j): 작.
- The long “i” of “Mike” or “Ryan” is written as two vowels, 아 + 이: 아이.
- Isaac ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 작 has ㄱ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 아이작 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 아이작이에요 (je ireumeun aijagieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 아이작 씨 or 아이작 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.