케이
kei[kʰe̞i]
The letter name kay, for the letter K, is said 케이 (kei) in Korean.
Use 케이 when spelling out English words, reading abbreviations or naming the letter K.
How do you pronounce it?
It is written in Latin letters as kei.
Did you know?
- The word 케이 was borrowed from the English word 'key' rather than the name of the letter 'K'.
- In formal Korean orthography, loanwords like 케이 ('kei') must follow strict 'Loanword Orthography' rules to ensure they are written consistently across all media.
- Korean has two distinct consonants that can produce a 'k' sound, ㄱ and ㅋ, yet neither is used to name the Latin letter 'K'. Instead, speakers exclusively use the borrowed English name 케이.
Examples in context
- 알파벳 케이를 써 보세요.al-pa-bet ke-i-reul sseo bo-se-yo.Please write the letter K.
- 케이로 시작하는 단어가 있어요.ke-i-ro si-jak-ha-neun dan-eo-ga is-seo-yo.There is a word that starts with K.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Hyunwoo are studying the English alphabet together.
- 서연 Seo-yeon현우 씨, 이 글자는 어떻게 읽어요?Hyunwoo ssi, i geuljajeun eotteoke ilgeoyo?Hyunwoo, how do you read this letter?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo이건 케이라고 읽어요.igeon kei-rago ilgeoyo.This is read as K.
- 서연 Seo-yeon아, 케이군요. 고마워요!a, kei-gun-yo. gomawo-yo!Ah, it's K. Thank you!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo천만에요, 서연 씨.cheonman-eyo, Seoyeon ssi.You're welcome, Seoyeon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 케이, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 케이, CC BY-SA 4.0.
