The Korean Alphabet

The Korean Alphabet

 

The 한글(Hangeul) consists of nineteen consonants and twenty-one vowels.

 

Consonants  

 

ㄱ    [g]                      gloves

ㄲ    [que]                  queue (strong voiceless sound of ㄱ)

ㅋ    [k]                      cake

 

ㄴ    [n]                      nice

       

ㄷ    [d]                      design

ㄸ    [th, dd]               think, thank (without sticking out the tongue)

ㅌ    [t]                       talent

 

ㄹ    [라(r), 갈(l)]         Ramen, love

 

ㅁ    [m]                     mother

 

ㅂ    [b]                      boy

ㅃ    [bb]                    the mixed sound of ㅂ [b] and ㅍ [p]

ㅍ    [p]                      pie (Korean doesn’t have f sound)

 

ㅅ    [s]                       street

ㅆ    [S]                      strong voiceless sound of ㅅ

 

ㅇ    [아ϕ (silent), 강 η (ng)]    aunt,  young

 

ㅈ    [j]                              job

ㅉ    [jj/tzh]                       the mixed sound of ㅈ [j] and ㅊ [ch]

ㅊ    [ch]                           church

 

ㅎ    [h]                             house

 

 

*** Korean doesn’t have the [f] [v] [z] [x] and [th] sounds. 

 

 

 

 Let’s practice the consonants. 

Trace each consonant five times in the table.

ㄱ [g]

ㄱ

ㄱ

ㄱ

ㄱ

ㄱ

ㄲ[que]

ㄲ

ㄲ

ㄲ

ㄲ

ㄲ

ㅋ [k]

ㅋ

ㅋ

ㅋ

ㅋ

ㅋ

ㄴ [n]

ㄴ

ㄴ

ㄴ

ㄴ

ㄴ

ㄷ [d]

ㄷ

ㄷ

ㄷ

ㄷ

ㄷ

ㄸ[dd]

ㄸ

ㄸ

ㄸ

ㄸ

ㄸ

ㅌ [t]

ㅌ

ㅌ

ㅌ

ㅌ

ㅌ

ㄹ [r/l]

ㄹ

ㄹ

ㄹ

ㄹ

ㄹ

ㅁ [m]

ㅁ

ㅁ

ㅁ

ㅁ

ㅁ

ㅂ [b]

ㅂ

ㅂ

ㅂ

ㅂ

ㅂ

ㅃ [bb]

ㅃ

ㅃ

ㅃ

ㅃ

ㅃ

ㅍ [p]

ㅍ

ㅍ

ㅍ

ㅍ

ㅍ

ㅅ [s]

ㅅ

ㅅ

ㅅ

ㅅ

ㅅ

ㅆ [S]

ㅆ

ㅆ

ㅆ

ㅆ

ㅆ

ㅇ [ϕ/η]

ㅇ

ㅇ

ㅇ

ㅇ

ㅇ

ㅈ [j]

ㅈ

ㅈ

ㅈ

ㅈ

ㅈ

ㅉ [jj/tzh]

ㅉ

ㅉ

ㅉ

ㅉ

ㅉ

ㅊ [ch]

ㅊ

ㅊ

ㅊ

ㅊ

ㅊ

ㅎ [h]

ㅎ

ㅎ

ㅎ

ㅎ

ㅎ

 

 

Vowels 

 

ㅏ    [a]                            palm

 

ㅑ    [ya]                           yacht

 

 

ㅓ    [uh, eo]                     a cat

 

ㅕ    [yuh, yeo]                  yawn

 

 

ㅗ    [o]                             oil

 

ㅛ    [yo]                           yo-yo

 

 

ㅜ    [u]                             cookie

      

ㅠ    [yu]                           you

 

 

ㅡ    [eu]                           written

 

ㅣ    [i]                               feel

 

 

ㅐ    [ae]                           command

 

ㅔ    [e]                             commend

 

ㅒ    [yae]                         yay

 

ㅖ    [ye]                           yes

 

 

 

ㅘ   [wa]                           combination of  ㅗ + ㅏ

pronounce ㅗ +ㅏat the same time

 

 

ㅟ   [wi]                             combination of  ㅜ + ㅣ

pronounce ㅜ + ㅣat the same time

 

 

ㅝ   [weo]                        war

combination of  ㅜ + ㅓ

pronounce ㅜ + ㅓat the same time

 

 

ㅚ   [wae]                        wedding

combination of ㅗ + ㅣbut it is pronounced as [wae]

 

 

ㅙ   [wae]                        wedding

combination of  ㅗ + ㅐ

pronounce ㅗ + ㅐat the same time

         

 

ㅞ   [wae]                        wedding

combination of  ㅜ + ㅔ

pronounce ㅜ + ㅔat the same time

 

 

ㅢ   [eui]                           combination of  ㅡ + ㅣ

pronounce ㅡ + ㅣat the same time

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pronunciation

 

  • ㅐ[command] = ㅔ[commend] are pronounced almost the same.

 

  • ㅒ[yay] =ㅖ[yes] are pronounced almost the same.

 

  • ㅚ = ㅙ = ㅞ [wedding] are pronounced the same.

 

 

 

 Let's practice the vowels.
Trace each vowel five times in the table.

ㅏ[a]

ㅏ

ㅏ

ㅏ

ㅏ

ㅏ

ㅑ[ya]

ㅑ

ㅑ

ㅑ

ㅑ

ㅑ

ㅓ[eo]

ㅓ

ㅓ

ㅓ

ㅓ

ㅓ

ㅕ[yeo]

ㅕ

ㅕ

ㅕ

ㅕ

ㅕ

ㅗ[o]

ㅗ

ㅗ

ㅗ

ㅗ

ㅗ

ㅛ[yo]

ㅛ

ㅛ

ㅛ

ㅛ

ㅛ

ㅜ[u]

ㅜ

ㅜ

ㅜ

ㅜ

ㅜ

ㅠ[you]

ㅠ

ㅠ

ㅠ

ㅠ

ㅠ

ㅡ[eu]

ㅡ

ㅡ

ㅡ

ㅡ

ㅡ

ㅣ[i]

ㅣ

ㅣ

ㅣ

ㅣ

ㅣ

ㅐ[ae]

ㅐ

ㅐ

ㅐ

ㅐ

ㅐ

ㅒ[yae]

ㅒ

ㅒ

ㅒ

ㅒ

ㅒ

ㅔ[e]

ㅔ

ㅔ

ㅔ

ㅔ

ㅔ

ㅖ[ye]

ㅖ

ㅖ

ㅖ

ㅖ

ㅖ

ㅘ[wa]

ㅘ

ㅘ

ㅘ

ㅘ

ㅘ

ㅟ[wi]

ㅟ

ㅟ

ㅟ

ㅟ

ㅟ

ㅝ[war]

ㅝ

ㅝ

ㅝ

ㅝ

ㅝ

ㅚ[wae]

ㅚ

ㅚ

ㅚ

ㅚ

ㅚ

ㅙ[wae]

ㅙ

ㅙ

ㅙ

ㅙ

ㅙ

ㅞ[wae]

ㅞ

ㅞ

ㅞ

ㅞ

ㅞ

ㅢ[eui]

ㅢ

ㅢ

ㅢ

ㅢ

ㅢ