Free Tool

English Name to Korean Converter

See how your name is written in Korean using official transcription rules

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한국어

Your Korean name will appear here

 
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How Korean writes foreign names

외래어 표기법: the official transcription rules

Korean has an official system for writing foreign words in Hangeul, called 외래어 표기법 (oeraeeo pyogibeop, "loanword orthography"). It was published by South Korea's National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) so that newspapers, subtitles, and dictionaries all write the same foreign name the same way. This converter follows the same rules: it works out how your name is actually pronounced, then maps each sound to the Korean letter it is officially assigned.

Why one name can have more than one Hangeul spelling

For common English names, 외래어 표기법 already has a settled answer, so "Michael" is reliably 마이클 everywhere you look. Less common names, nicknames, and names from other languages often don't have a published spelling, so two Korean speakers can reasonably split the sounds differently. That's why this tool marks results "Standard transcription" when a name has an established spelling and "Phonetic estimate" when it's working the rules out from pronunciation alone.

Sounds English has that Korean doesn't

Korean's consonant set is smaller than English's, so several English sounds get mapped onto the nearest Korean letter rather than reproduced exactly:

  • F becomes ㅍ because Korean has no f sound, just a plain p (프랑스, France).
  • V becomes ㅂ for the same reason, Korean's b is the closest match (비타민, vitamin).
  • Z becomes ㅈ, since Korean has no separate buzzing z (제로, zero).
  • R and L both become ㄹ, the one Korean liquid consonant that covers both.
  • Consonant clusters gain vowels, because a Korean syllable can only start with one consonant. "Strike" needs a vowel wedged between each consonant: 스트라이크.
  • Final consonants often gain a vowel too, since most consonants can't end a Korean syllable on their own. "Mark" picks up a closing 으 to become 마크.

Transcribing your name versus choosing a Korean name

What this converter gives you is your own name, written in Hangeul, exactly the way 외래어 표기법 says a Korean speaker should spell it. That's different from choosing an actual Korean name, which is a new name entirely. Korean names put the family name first, then a given name that's usually two syllables, for example Kim Min-jun (김민준): the surname 김 is one syllable, and 민준 is two. People pick a real Korean name for reasons like citizenship, adoption, a stage name, or simply wanting one, not as a translation of an existing name.

When would you actually use your transcribed name?

Your Hangeul spelling is what a barista writes on a coffee cup, what you type into a KakaoTalk profile, or how you introduce yourself at the start of a conversation in Korean. It's a spelling, not a legal identity, so passports, visas, and bank paperwork still use your name in Roman letters exactly as it appears on your official documents. Between those two, the Hangeul version is simply the everyday, spoken and written form Koreans reach for.

Once you can write your own name, the next step is learning to read and write the rest of Hangeul. Lingrow's guide to the Korean alphabet walks through every letter, and the Lingrow Korean course pairs that with guided lessons and AI voice roleplay so you can actually use what you learn. For more on why English sounds like F and V trip learners up in both directions, see Korean pronunciation for English speakers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I write my name in Korean?

Type your name into the converter above and it applies 외래어 표기법, the official rules for writing foreign words in Hangeul. The tool looks up how your name is actually pronounced, then maps each sound to the closest Korean jamo. You get a standard spelling in seconds, with a romanization underneath so you can read it aloud.

Is my Korean name the same as my English name?

It's the same name, written in a different alphabet, not a translation. Hangeul cannot reproduce every English sound exactly, so the spelling is the closest phonetic match rather than an identical sound. Say 마이클 aloud and it's recognizably "Michael", even though Korean has no direct f, v, or th sound to work with.

Why does my name have extra syllables in Korean?

Korean syllables are built from a consonant plus a vowel, so a lone consonant usually needs a vowel added to be written at all. Consonant clusters like the "str" in Strike get a vowel between each consonant, and most consonants ending a word gain one too. That's why Christmas becomes four syllables: 크리스마스.

Should I pick a real Korean name instead?

That depends on what you want it for. A transcribed name is exactly your name, just written in Hangeul, and it's what you'd use to introduce yourself or write on a coffee order. A real Korean name is a new name entirely, useful if you're taking Korean citizenship, working under a stage name, or simply want one. Neither is more "correct" than the other.

How do Korean names work?

Korean names put the family name first, then the given name, for example Kim Min-jun (김민준): the surname 김 is one syllable and the given name 민준 is usually two. Most Korean surnames are a single syllable from a small shared set, while given names are chosen fresh for each person, often with a meaning tied to each syllable.

Is this the official way to write foreign names?

The tool follows 외래어 표기법, the transcription system published by South Korea's National Institute of Korean Language, so the output matches the same rules used in Korean media and dictionaries. Common names marked "Standard transcription" match the accepted spelling. Less common names get a rule-based best estimate, since not every name has an officially published spelling yet.

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