4BLOCKS How to write your name in Korean
Koreans write foreign names by sound. They do not translate the meaning. They listen to the name, split it into sounds, and write each sound with Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Then the letters are stacked into square syllable blocks: a consonant, a vowel, and sometimes one more consonant at the bottom.
Take the name Emma. You hear two beats, "em" and "ma". The first block is ㅇ + ㅔ + ㅁ = 엠. The silent circle ㅇ holds the place of the first sound, ㅔ is the "e" sound and ㅁ closes the block with "m". The second block is ㅁ + ㅏ = 마. Put them together and Emma is 엠마.
That is exactly what the converter above shows: every block is built from small letters first, so you can see how Korean writing works while you look at your own name.
Why some English sounds change in Korean
Korean has fewer sounds than English, so some letters change when a name is written in Hangul. Once you know these five rules, you can guess most names yourself.
| English sound | Korean letter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| F | ㅍ (p) | Fiona → 피오나 |
| V | ㅂ (b) | Victor → 빅터 |
| TH | ㅅ (s) | Thomas → 토머스 |
| R and L | ㄹ (r/l) | Ryan → 라이언, Lily → 릴리 |
| Z and J | ㅈ (j) | Zoe → 조이, Jack → 잭 |
Final consonants get an extra "eu"
A Korean block can end with only a few sounds, like ㄴ (n), ㅁ (m), ㅇ (ng), ㄹ (l), ㄱ (k), ㅂ (p) and ㅅ (t). Other final sounds get their own block with the vowel ㅡ (eu). That is why Max is 맥스 (maek-seu), Grace is 그레이스 (geu-re-i-seu) and Kate is 케이트 (ke-i-teu). Korean speakers say that "eu" very softly, so it still sounds like your name.
Long vowels split into two blocks
Sounds like "ay" in Kate or "i" in Mike are two sounds in Korean: 에 + 이 and 아 + 이. So Mike becomes 마이크.
Popular names in Korean
| Name | Korean | Name | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olivia | 올리비아 | Liam | 리암 |
| Emma | 엠마 | Noah | 노아 |
| Sophia | 소피아 | James | 제임스 |
| Emily | 에밀리 | Daniel | 대니얼 |
| Sarah | 사라 | Michael | 마이클 |
| Jessica | 제시카 | David | 데이비드 |
| Grace | 그레이스 | Lucas | 루카스 |
| Chloe | 클로이 | Ethan | 이선 |
Learn to read your name, letter by letter
Hangul is one of the easiest alphabets to learn because many consonants are pictures of your mouth. ㄱ shows the back of your tongue rising, ㄴ shows the tip of your tongue touching the top of your mouth, and ㅁ is the shape of your closed lips. Our free Hangul Sounds lessons teach one letter at a time with a short video, a chant and a printable worksheet.
Start with lesson 1: how to pronounce ㄱ, then come back here and try to read your Korean name without help.
FAQ
Is this a Korean name translation?
No. This page writes the sound of your own name with Korean letters, which is how Koreans write foreign names. It does not give you a new Korean name with a meaning.
Why does my name look different on another website?
Many names have more than one common spelling in Korean. For hundreds of popular names we use the spelling Koreans see most often. For other names, the converter makes a best guess from the English spelling.
Why does my name have extra syllables in Korean?
Korean syllables usually end in a vowel or one of a few consonants. Other final sounds get the vowel ㅡ (eu) added, so Max becomes 맥스 and Grace becomes 그레이스.
How do you write F, V, TH, R and L in Korean?
F becomes ㅍ, V becomes ㅂ and TH usually becomes ㅅ. R and L share one letter, ㄹ.
Can I use this for a tattoo?
Please ask a native Korean speaker to check first. Our converter makes a best guess for names that are not in its list.
Can your teachers write my name in a video?
Yes! Comment your first name on any 4BLOCKS KOREAN video. We pick names for our "Your Name in Hangul" videos.