Jay, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 제 | ㅈ + ㅔ | ㅈ j ㅔ e, as in “bed” | je |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
Why Jay is written this way
- The “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 제이.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Jay sounds like je-i.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 제이 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 제이예요 (je ireumeun jeiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 제이 씨 or 제이 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.