How does my name become Hangul?

Korean writes a foreign name by its sound, not its spelling. Each syllable becomes one block: a first consonant and a vowel, sometimes with a final consonant at the bottom. Common names have standard spellings (from the National Institute of Korean Language loanword rules), for example Michael 마이클, Emily 에밀리 and Tom Cruise 톰 크루즈.

Why does Korean add ㅡ to some names?

A Korean block can start with only one consonant, and only a few consonants can end a block. Extra consonants get their own block with the quiet vowel ㅡ (eu): Cruise becomes 크루즈 (keu-ru-jeu) and Smith becomes 스미스 (seu-mi-seu).

Is there only one correct spelling?

Not always. The builder suggests the standard spelling first and shows other common ones (Sarah can be 세라 or 사라). It is a suggestion: you can change any letter until it sounds like you.

Yes. It is free and needs no sign-up. Everything runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and you can save your name as an image.

재미있는 한국어jaemiinneun hangugeo

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How it works

Tom Cruise → 톰 크루즈

Korean writes a foreign name by its sound, one block per syllable. Each block is a first consonant + a vowel, sometimes with a final consonant at the bottom.

Tom톰

ㅌ+ㅗ+ㅁ = 톰[tom]

Cruise크루즈

ㅋ+ㅡ = 크[keu]
ㄹ+ㅜ = 루[ru]
ㅈ+ㅡ = 즈[jeu]

Tom is one syllable, and it fits one block: ㅌ t + ㅗ o + ㅁ m = 톰.
Cruise is one syllable in English, but it starts with two consonants (c-r) and ends in a z sound. A Korean block can only start with one consonant, and a final z is not possible, so Korean gives each extra consonant its own block with the quiet vowel ㅡ (eu): 크 + 루 + 즈 = 크루즈. One English syllable becomes three Korean blocks.

Red first consonant · Blue vowel · Black final consonant (batchim)

Step 1

Type your name

In English letters, the way you write it. First name, last name or both.

Your Hangul spelling appears here as you type. Try or .

Step 2

Build it block by block

Pick a block, then choose its letters. Every block needs a first consonant and a vowel; the final consonant is optional.

No blocks yet.

Type your name above or start from scratch, then pick letters below.

Double consonants (tense)

Starts with a vowel sound (like Emily)? Pick the silent ㅇ: it only holds the place.

Step 3

Your name in Hangul

Your name appears here as you build it.

A 1080 × 1350 PNG, made in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Used in the preview and in the saved image. All five are free fonts (SIL Open Font License).

IBM Plex Sans KRClean sansNanum MyeongjoClassic serif (myeongjo)Nanum Pen ScriptHandwritingJuaRounded and cuteBlack Han SansBold display

Writing your name in Korean

How does my name become Hangul?: Korean writes a foreign name by its sound, not its spelling. Each syllable becomes one block: a first consonant and a vowel, sometimes with a final consonant at the bottom. Common names have standard spellings (from the National Institute of Korean Language loanword rules), for example Michael 마이클, Emily 에밀리 and Tom Cruise 톰 크루즈.
Why does Korean add ㅡ to some names?: A Korean block can start with only one consonant, and only a few consonants can end a block. Extra consonants get their own block with the quiet vowel ㅡ (eu): Cruise becomes 크루즈 (keu-ru-jeu) and Smith becomes 스미스 (seu-mi-seu).
Is there only one correct spelling?: Not always. The builder suggests the standard spelling first and shows other common ones (Sarah can be 세라 or 사라). It is a suggestion: you can change any letter until it sounds like you.
Is it free?: Yes. It is free and needs no sign-up. Everything runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded, and you can save your name as an image.