Jessica, 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 |
| 시 | ㅅ + ㅣ | ㅅ s ㅣ i, as in “see” | si |
| 카 | ㅋ + ㅏ | ㅋ k ㅏ a, as in “father” | ka |
Why Jessica is written this way
- Every sound in Jessica has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 제 (je) + 시 (si) + 카 (ka).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Jessica sounds like je-si-ka.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 제시카 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 제시카예요 (je ireumeun jesikayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 제시카 씨 or 제시카 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.