Explore the Korean alphabet – Learn Hangul (한글) consonants, vowels and their pronunciation.
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul (한글), is a unique and scientific writing system developed in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great and his scholars. It consists of 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels, making it relatively easy to learn and use. Each character is a syllabic block, composed of consonants and vowels arranged in a set pattern. Hangul is praised for its simplicity and efficiency, allowing for clear and accurate representation of the Korean language. The design of Hangul is phonetic, meaning each symbol corresponds to a specific sound, which helps learners quickly grasp pronunciation. The alphabet’s structure also makes it highly adaptable for incorporating foreign loanwords. Hangul is celebrated every year on October 9th, known as Hangul Day, in honor of its creation.
The Korean alphabet, Hangul (한글), consists of 14 consonants and 10 vowels. Here’s a guide to the letters, their sounds, and pronunciation:
Consonants
- ㄱ (g/k) – “giyeok” sounds like “g” in “go”
- ㄴ (n) – “nieun” sounds like “n” in “now”
- ㄷ (d/t) – “digeut” sounds like “d” in “dog”
- ㄹ (r/l) – “rieul” sounds like “r” in “run” or “l” in “love”
- ㅁ (m) – “mieum” sounds like “m” in “mother”
- ㅂ (b/p) – “bieup” sounds like “b” in “bed”
- ㅅ (s) – “siot” sounds like “s” in “sun”
- ㅇ (silent/ng) – “ieung” is silent at the beginning of a syllable, sounds like “ng” in “song”
- ㅈ (j) – “jieut” sounds like “j” in “jump”
- ㅊ (ch) – “chieut” sounds like “ch” in “chop”
- ㅋ (k) – “kieuk” sounds like “k” in “kite”
- ㅌ (t) – “tieut” sounds like “t” in “top”
- ㅍ (p) – “pieup” sounds like “p” in “pool”
- ㅎ (h) – “hieut” sounds like “h” in “hat”
Vowels
- ㅏ (a) – sounds like “a” in “father”
- ㅑ (ya) – sounds like “ya” in “yarn”
- ㅓ (eo) – sounds like “uh” in “cup”
- ㅕ (yeo) – sounds like “yuh” in “young”
- ㅗ (o) – sounds like “o” in “so”
- ㅛ (yo) – sounds like “yo” in “yoga”
- ㅜ (u) – sounds like “oo” in “boot”
- ㅠ (yu) – sounds like “you” in “yule”
- ㅡ (eu) – sounds like “u” in “put”
- ㅣ (i) – sounds like “ee” in “see”
Each syllable block in Hangul combines consonants and vowels, making it a flexible and intuitive writing system.