Sharon, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 샤 | ㅅ + ㅑ | ㅅ s ㅑ ya | sya |
| 론 | ㄹ + ㅗ + ㄴ | ㄹ r (a light, flapped r) ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) ㄴ n at the end | ron |
Why Sharon 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 “sh” sound is written as ㅅ plus a “y” vowel or ㅣ: 샤.
- Sharon ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 론 has ㄴ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 샤론 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 샤론이에요 (je ireumeun syaronieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 샤론 씨 or 샤론 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.