Margaret, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 마 | ㅁ + ㅏ | ㅁ m ㅏ a, as in “father” | ma |
| 거 | ㄱ + ㅓ | ㄱ g ㅓ eo, like the u in “up” | geo |
| 릿 | ㄹ + ㅣ + ㅅ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅣ i, as in “see” ㅅ t (unreleased) at the end | rit |
Why Margaret is written this way
- Korean has one letter, ㄹ, for both “r” and “l”. At the start of a syllable it is a light, flapped sound between the two; at the end of a block it sounds like “l”.
- The relaxed “uh” sound — like the u in “fun” or the -er in “Peter” — is written ㅓ (eo): 거.
- Margaret ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 릿 has ㅅ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 마거릿 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 마거릿이에요 (je ireumeun mageorisieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 마거릿 씨 or 마거릿 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.