Lillian, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 릴 | ㄹ + ㅣ + ㄹ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” ㄹ l at the end | ril |
| 리 | ㄹ + ㅣ | ㄹ l (after another ㄹ) ㅣ i, as in “see” | ri |
| 안 | ㅇ + ㅏ + ㄴ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅏ a, as in “father” ㄴ n at the end | an |
Why Lillian is written this way
- Between vowels, the “l” sound is written with two ㄹ — 릴리 — so it stays a clear “l”. A single ㄹ there would sound more like a soft “r”.
- Lillian ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 안 has ㄴ at the bottom.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Lillian sounds like ril-ri-an.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 릴리안 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 릴리안이에요 (je ireumeun rillianieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 릴리안 씨 or 릴리안 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.