Nancy, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 낸 | ㄴ + ㅐ + ㄴ | ㄴ n ㅐ ae, like the a in “cat” ㄴ n at the end | naen |
| 시 | ㅅ + ㅣ | ㅅ s ㅣ i, as in “see” | si |
Why Nancy is written this way
- The short “a” of “cat” is written ㅐ (ae): 낸.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Nancy sounds like naen-si.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 낸시 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 낸시예요 (je ireumeun naensiyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 낸시 씨 or 낸시 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.