Vanessa, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 바 | ㅂ + ㅏ | ㅂ b ㅏ a, as in “father” | ba |
| 네 | ㄴ + ㅔ | ㄴ n ㅔ e, as in “bed” | ne |
| 사 | ㅅ + ㅏ | ㅅ s ㅏ a, as in “father” | sa |
Why Vanessa is written this way
- Korean has no “v” sound, so ㅂ (b) is used: 바.
- Say each block evenly. Korean doesn’t stress one syllable over the others the way English does, so Vanessa sounds like ba-ne-sa.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 바네사 ends in a vowel, so you say 제 이름은 바네사예요 (je ireumeun banesayeyo). With friends, Koreans add 야 (ya) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 바네사 씨 or 바네사 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.