Jackson, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 잭 | ㅈ + ㅐ + ㄱ | ㅈ j ㅐ ae, like the a in “cat” ㄱ k (unreleased) at the end | jaek |
| 슨 | ㅅ + ㅡ + ㄴ | ㅅ s ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips ㄴ n at the end | seun |
Why Jackson is written this way
- The short “a” of “cat” is written ㅐ (ae): 잭.
- Jackson 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.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Jackson sounds like jaek-seun.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 잭슨 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 잭슨이에요 (je ireumeun jaekseunieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 잭슨 씨 or 잭슨 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.