Rachel, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 레 | ㄹ + ㅔ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅔ e, as in “bed” | re |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 첼 | ㅊ + ㅔ + ㄹ | ㅊ ch ㅔ e, as in “bed” ㄹ l at the end | chel |
Why Rachel 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 “ay” sound of “day” is written as two vowels, 에 + 이: 레이.
- Rachel ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 첼 has ㄹ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 레이첼 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 레이첼이에요 (je ireumeun reicherieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 레이첼 씨 or 레이첼 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.