Richard in Korean 리처드
Korean media, baristas and the immigration office write Richard as 리처드: three syllables, said ri-cheo-deu. Here's how it's built, how to say it, and what people will call you.
Richard letter by letter
Each Hangul block is one syllable, built from a consonant, a vowel and sometimes a final consonant underneath.
The opening ㄹ is a single light tap, halfway between an English r and l. Never roll it.
- 드 carries the filler vowel ㅡ (eu). Keep it short and light, almost just the consonant.
- ㅓ (eo) in 처 is the open "uh" of "sun", not an "o".
- Give all 3 syllables the same weight. Korean has no strong stress, so it's ri-cheo-deu, evenly.
How Koreans would call you
Korean given names are almost always two syllables (after a one-syllable family name), so at 3 syllables 리처드 reads as a foreign name at a glance. With foreign names some Koreans skip 야 and just say 리처드 or 리처드 씨.
Why it's spelled 리처드
Spelled letter-by-letter you'd get 리차드, but Korean media write 리처드, because the name is written the way it sounds, not the way it's spelled.
- An r after a vowel (before a consonant or at the end) isn't written. Korean spelling follows British-style pronunciation, where that r is silent.
- The unstressed "uh" vowel is written ㅓ (eo), whatever letter English uses for it.
- Korean adds the vowel ㅡ to consonants that have no vowel of their own (드), which is why Richard has 3 syllables in Korean.
Type Richard on a Korean keyboard
On the standard two-set (두벌식) layout, 리처드 is the jamo ㄹㅣ ㅊㅓ ㄷㅡ, typed with the keys fl cj em. 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 Richard in Korean?
Richard is written 리처드 in Hangul (Revised Romanization: richeodeu). It is the standard spelling Korean media use for the name. In Hangul it has three syllables: 리 + 처 + 드.
How do you pronounce Richard in Korean?
Say it ri-cheo-deu, with even weight on every syllable. The opening ㄹ is a single light tap, halfway between an English r and l. Never roll it.
Spellings follow the National Institute of Korean Language loanword rules and common Korean media usage. Last checked: October 2026.