How Korean writes foreign names
Korean does not translate names. It writes them by sound, using Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Each Hangul block is one syllable, so your name is broken into syllables and each one is spelled the way it sounds. Michael becomes 마이클 (ma-i-keul) because that is how “MY-kul” sounds to a Korean ear.
There is an official system for this, the 외래어 표기법 (rules for writing foreign words), published by the National Institute of Korean Language. Newspapers, textbooks and government documents follow it. The names in our dictionary use these standard spellings, and we also list the spellings people commonly use.
Rules you will notice
- Extra “eu” sounds. Korean syllables rarely end in consonants like s, d or f, so the vowel ㅡ (eu) is added: Chris → 크리스, Fred → 프레드.
- No F, V, Z or TH. They are replaced by the closest Korean sounds: F → ㅍ (p), V → ㅂ (b), Z → ㅈ (j), TH → ㅅ (s). So Victor is 빅터 and Arthur is 아서.
- One letter for L and R. Both are ㄹ. An L between two vowels is doubled: Emily → 에밀리, Kelly → 켈리.
- Silent R. Like British English, an R after a vowel is usually not written: Peter → 피터, Harper → 하퍼.
- Short endings. After a short vowel, a final t, k or p is tucked under the syllable: Matt → 맷, Nick → 닉, Philip → 필립.
Why the same name can be spelled differently
You may see two or three spellings for one name. There are three main reasons. First, the official rules follow pronunciation, while many people follow the letters: the standard spelling of Sarah is 세라, but 사라 is common. Second, the same name sounds different in different languages: Daniel is 대니얼 in English and 다니엘 in French or Spanish. Third, people and brands simply choose the spelling they like, and some become popular.
None of these are wrong in everyday life. If you live in Korea, choose one spelling and use it everywhere: on your phone contacts, at work, at school. Official documents such as your visa or bank account use the English name in your passport, so the Hangul version is for daily life.
How Korean names work
A typical Korean name has three syllables: a one-syllable family name followed by a two-syllable given name, written without a space. In 김지민 (Kim Ji-min), 김 is the family name. About half of all Koreans share the family names 김 (Kim), 이 (Lee) and 박 (Park). There are no middle names.
Foreign names keep their own order, with a space between the parts: Emily Smith is 에밀리 스미스. In conversation, Koreans rarely use a name alone. They add 씨 (ssi) for politeness, as in 에밀리 씨, or use a title such as “teacher” or “manager”.