Leah, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 리 | ㄹ + ㅣ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” | ri |
| 아 | ㅇ + ㅏ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅏ a, as in “father” | a |
Why Leah is written this way
- Every sound in Leah has a close match in Korean, so it is spelled just as it sounds: 리 (ri) + 아 (a).
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Leah sounds like ri-a.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 리아 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 리아예요 (je ireumeun riayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 리아 씨 or 리아 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.