Michael in Korean 마이클
Korean media, baristas and the immigration office write Michael as 마이클: three syllables, said ma-i-keul. Here's how it's built, how to say it, and what people will call you.
Michael letter by letter
Each Hangul block is one syllable, built from a consonant, a vowel and sometimes a final consonant underneath.
클 carries the filler vowel ㅡ (eu). Keep it short and light, almost just the consonant.
- ㄹ at the bottom of 클 is an l: the tongue touches just behind the teeth and stays there.
- ㅇ at the top of 이 is silent, so 이 is just the vowel: i.
- Give all 3 syllables the same weight. Korean has no strong stress, so it's ma-i-keul, evenly.
How Koreans would call you
Korean given names are almost always two syllables (after a one-syllable family name), so at 3 syllables 마이클 reads as a foreign name at a glance. In casual sentences Koreans often add 이 after a name that ends in a consonant: 마이클이 왔어 ("Michael's here").
Why it's spelled 마이클
Spelled letter-by-letter you'd get 미차엘, but Korean media write 마이클, because the name is written the way it sounds, not the way it's spelled.
- The ch in Michael is a k sound, so Korean uses ㅋ (k), not ㅊ.
- The long i (as in "my") is spelled 아이: two beats in Korean, one in English.
- Korean adds the vowel ㅡ to consonants that have no vowel of their own (클), which is why Michael has 3 syllables in Korean.
Type Michael on a Korean keyboard
On the standard two-set (두벌식) layout, 마이클 is the jamo ㅁㅏ ㅇㅣ ㅋㅡㄹ, typed with the keys ak dl zmf. Want to get fast at it? Try the Hangul Typing Test.
Similar names in Korean
Write any name in Hangul
Questions people ask
How do you write Michael in Korean?
Michael is written 마이클 in Hangul (Revised Romanization: maikeul). It is the standard spelling Korean media use for the name. In Hangul it has three syllables: 마 + 이 + 클.
How do you pronounce Michael in Korean?
Say it ma-i-keul, with even weight on every syllable. 클 carries the filler vowel ㅡ (eu). Keep it short and light, almost just the consonant.
Spellings follow the National Institute of Korean Language loanword rules and common Korean media usage. Last checked: October 2026.