Violet, 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 |
| 이 | ㅇ + ㅣ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅣ i, as in “see” | i |
| 올 | ㅇ + ㅗ + ㄹ | ㅇ silent at the start ㅗ o, as in “go” (shorter) ㄹ l at the end | ol |
| 렛 | ㄹ + ㅔ + ㅅ | ㄹ l (after another ㄹ) ㅔ e, as in “bed” ㅅ t (unreleased) at the end | ret |
Why Violet is written this way
- Between vowels, the “l” sound is written with two ㄹ — 올렛 — so it stays a clear “l”. A single ㄹ there would sound more like a soft “r”.
- Korean has no “v” sound, so ㅂ (b) is used: 바.
- The long “i” of “Mike” or “Ryan” is written as two vowels, 아 + 이: 바이.
- Violet ends in a consonant, so it sits at the bottom of the last block as a final consonant (받침): 렛 has ㅅ at the bottom.
Introducing yourself
The ending after your name depends on how it ends in Korean. 바이올렛 ends in a consonant (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄹ…) at the bottom of the last block, so you say 제 이름은 바이올렛이에요 (je ireumeun baiollesieyo). With friends, Koreans add 아 (a) when calling someone by name. At work, coworkers will usually call you 바이올렛 씨 or 바이올렛 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.