한국어

Korean Friendship Compatibility: Hangul Stroke Match

Type two names and the Match Doctor traces the strokes to read the friendship.

Check your name match

Type two names and the Match Doctor traces the strokes to read the match.

the Match Doctor
Write both names down and I'll read the match for you. 🔮

Already know Hangul? Type it in and we'll skip the conversion.

Community 💬

Was this page helpful?
Friends, coworkers, family — see their name match too.See the other relationships

Learn more 📚

Reading a friendship by stroke count

Korean students have played this on paper for decades. You write your name and your best friend's name in one row and count the brush strokes. Then you add neighboring numbers down the page until two digits are left. It comes out of Korean name study, which holds that the strokes and sounds of a name carry a person's energy. We draw the pyramid line by line on screen so you can watch the number land.

You also see who puts in more

Swap the order of the two names and the row of stroke counts changes, so the score changes too. We run it both ways — your name first, then your friend's — and read which side does more of the reaching out.

Frequently asked questions❓

We weave the two names together, one syllable from each in turn. Then we count the Hangul strokes in every syllable and add neighboring numbers down the page. The last two digits are your score — the pen-and-paper game Korean students have played for decades.
Yes. We look your name up in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary and write its sounds in Hangul — the same engine behind our Korean Name Maker, where Christina becomes 크리스티나. The screen shows the Hangul before a single stroke is counted, so you can check it. Type Hangul directly if you prefer.
Korean name study assigns the first sound of a name to one of the Five Elements. ㄱ and ㅋ are Wood, ㄴ·ㄷ·ㄹ·ㅌ are Fire, ㅁ·ㅂ·ㅍ are Water, ㅅ·ㅈ·ㅊ are Metal, and ㅇ·ㅎ are Earth. We read whether the two are harmonious (supporting) or clashing (conflicting).
The order decides the row of stroke counts, so a different order gives a different number. That's why your name first gives one score and their name first gives another. The gap between the two shows which side leans in a little harder.
Each syllable block splits into an initial consonant, a vowel, and an optional final consonant. We add the stroke count for each letter. 김 is ㄱ (2) + ㅣ (1) + ㅁ (4), so seven strokes — counted the old way, one stroke per pass of the brush.

Sources 🌐

More Korean tools

Other calculators you might find handy.