Stephanie, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 스 | ㅅ + ㅡ | ㅅ s ㅡ eu, like “oo” said with spread lips | seu |
| 테 | ㅌ + ㅔ | ㅌ t ㅔ e, as in “bed” | te |
| 파 | ㅍ + ㅏ | ㅍ p ㅏ a, as in “father” | pa |
| 니 | ㄴ + ㅣ | ㄴ n ㅣ i, as in “see” | ni |
Why Stephanie is written this way
- Korean syllables can’t end in most consonant sounds, and two consonants can’t start one, so a soft ㅡ (eu) is added: 스. Say it lightly — it is barely heard.
- Korean has no “f” sound, so it becomes a “p” sound — ㅍ, or ㅂ at the bottom of a block.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Stephanie sounds like seu-te-pa-ni.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 스테파니 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 스테파니예요 (je ireumeun seutepaniyeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 스테파니 씨 or 스테파니 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.