How
to Read Hangeul
Beginning and Medial Consonants
Lax
(Basic) Consonants
|
Tense
(Doubled) Consonants*
|
Aspirated
Consonants
|
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ㄱ
|
g as in “girl”
|
ㄲ
|
g as in “girl”
|
ㅋ
|
k as in “kill”
|
ㄴ
|
n as in “nail”
|
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ㄷ
|
d as in “dog”
|
ㄸ
|
d as in “dog”
|
ㅌ
|
t as in “top”
|
ㄹ
|
l as in “lemon”
|
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ㅁ
|
m as in “meat”
|
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ㅂ
|
b as in “boy”
|
ㅃ
|
b as in “boy”
|
ㅍ
|
p as in “pop”
|
ㅅ
|
s as in “sun”
|
ㅆ
|
s as in “sun”
|
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ㅇ
|
no sound
|
ㅎ
|
h as in “hat”
|
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ㅈ ( )
|
j as in “jail”
|
ㅉ
|
j as in “jail”
|
ㅊ ( )
|
ch as in “cheese”
|
*Note: The tense (doubled) consonants have a “stronger”
sound than their lax counterparts that cannot be represented with English
sounds. The difference comes from more
tension in the mouth and throat while making the sounds. I still have trouble pronouncing these
sounds, too.
Exceptions: ㅅ and ㅆ take an “sh” sound when they are in front of the ㅣ (“ee” sound)
vowel, or any “y-series” vowel (see below).
For example 피시 sounds like “pee shee” instead of “pee see”.
ㄹ makes a kind of “r” sound when it is found between two vowels. However,
the sound is not like the “r” sound in English, but instead like the “r” sound
in Spanish in words like “pero”. For example 파리 (Paris) sounds like “pah ree”
instead of “pah lee”.
Ending Consonants
Some consonants
take a different sound when they occur at the bottom of a syllable block, at
the end of a word. Fortunately there are
only a few possibilities for sounds, so it’s not that hard to remember. Remember, Koreans do not release consonants
at the end of a word, they swallow them.
ㄴ, ㅁ, and ㄹ do not change
at the end of a word.
ㄱ, ㄲ, ㅋ
|
k as in “pick”
|
ㅂ, ㅃ, ㅍ
|
p as in “top”
|
ㄷ, ㄸ, ㅌ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅉ, ㅊ
|
t as in “pot”
|
ㅇ
|
ng as in “ring”
|
Mixed
consonants:
Some syllable blocks will have two different consonants on the
bottom. If it is followed by a vowel sound
(ex. 앉으세요! “Sit
down!”), both consonants are pronounced.
Otherwise, only one of the consonants will be spoken, the other will be
silent (ex. 닭 “chicken”).
ㄱ (g)- ㅋ (k)
ㄴ(n) - ㄷ(d) - ㅌ(t) - ㄹ (r, l)
ㅁ(m) - ㅂ(b)- ㅍ(p)
ㅅ(s) - ㅈ( j ) - ㅊ(ch)
ㅇ(ng) - ㅎ(h)
ㄱ (g)- ㅋ (k)
ㄴ(n) - ㄷ(d) - ㅌ(t) - ㄹ (r, l)
ㅁ(m) - ㅂ(b)- ㅍ(p)
ㅅ(s) - ㅈ( j ) - ㅊ(ch)
ㅇ(ng) - ㅎ(h)
Vowels
Vowels
are always the second character in a syllable block. There are 21 different vowels in Korean, but
many of them are composites of the basic 8 vowels, so it is easier to remember.
Basic
Vowels
|
“Y
series” composite vowels
|
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ㅏ
|
ah as in “car”
|
ㅑ
|
yah as in “yacht”
|
ㅐ
|
a as in “bat”or
ay as in “day” (end of word only)
|
ㅒ
|
ya as in “yak” or
yay as in “yay” (end of word only)
|
ㅓ
|
aw as in “law” or
uh as in “nut”
|
ㅕ
|
yaw as in “yawn” or
yuh as in “yuck”
|
ㅔ
|
eh as in “get” or
ay as in “day” (end of word only)
|
ㅖ
|
yeh as in “yes” or
yay as in “yay” (end of word only)
|
ㅗ
|
o as in “go”
|
ㅛ
|
yo as in “yo mama!”
|
ㅜ
|
oo as in “food”
|
ㅠ
|
yoo as in “you”
|
ㅡ
|
oo as in “book” (but smile!)
|
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ㅣ
|
ee as in “feet”
|
||
The
following vowels are composites of two of the basic vowels. Each is still pronounced as only one
syllable.
Vowel
|
Prononciation
|
Composed of
|
ㅘ
|
wah as in “watt”
|
ㅗ & ㅏ
|
ㅙ
|
way as in “way”
|
ㅗ & ㅐ
|
ㅝ
|
waw as in “walk” or
wuh as in “won”
|
ㅜ & ㅓ
|
ㅞ
|
weh as in “wet” or
way as in “way”
(end of word only)
|
ㅜ & ㅔ
|
ㅟ
|
wee as in “wee”
|
ㅜ & ㅣ
|
ㅢ
|
i as in “light” (but smile!)
|
ㅡ & ㅣ
|
ㅚ
|
weh as in “wet” or
way as in “way”
(end of word only)
|
ㅗ & ㅣ (Yes, I know this doesn’t make any sense!)
|
Table - 1
Ganadara Alphabet
ㄱ
|
ㄴ
|
ㄷ
|
ㄹ
|
ㅁ
|
ㅂ
|
ㅅ
|
ㅇ
|
ㅈ
|
ㅊ
|
ㅋ
|
ㅌ
|
ㅍ
|
ㅎ
|
|
ㅏ
|
가
|
나
|
다
|
라
|
마
|
바
|
사
|
아
|
자
|
차
|
카
|
타
|
파
|
하
|
ga
|
na
|
da
|
ra
|
ma
|
ba
|
sa
|
A
|
ja
|
cha
|
ka
|
ta
|
pa
|
Ha
|
|
ㅑ
|
갸
|
냐
|
댜
|
랴
|
먀
|
뱌
|
샤
|
야
|
쟈
|
챠
|
캬
|
탸
|
퍄
|
햐
|
gya
|
nya
|
dya
|
rya
|
mya
|
bya
|
sya
|
ya
|
jya
|
chya
|
kya
|
tya
|
pya
|
hya
|
|
ㅓ
|
거
|
너
|
더
|
러
|
머
|
버
|
서
|
어
|
저
|
처
|
커
|
터
|
퍼
|
허
|
geo
|
neo
|
deo
|
reo
|
meo
|
beo
|
seo
|
eo
|
jeo
|
cheo
|
keo
|
teo
|
peo
|
heo
|
|
ㅕ
|
겨
|
녀
|
뎌
|
려
|
며
|
벼
|
셔
|
여
|
져
|
쳐
|
켜
|
텨
|
펴
|
혀
|
gyeo
|
nyeo
|
dyeo
|
ryeo
|
myeo
|
byeo
|
syeo
|
yeo
|
jyeo
|
chyeo
|
kyeo
|
tyeo
|
pyeo
|
hyeo
|
|
ㅗ
|
고
|
노
|
도
|
로
|
모
|
보
|
소
|
오
|
조
|
초
|
코
|
토
|
포
|
호
|
go
|
no
|
do
|
ro
|
mo
|
bo
|
so
|
O
|
jo
|
cho
|
ko
|
to
|
po
|
Ho
|
|
ㅛ
|
교
|
뇨
|
됴
|
료
|
묘
|
뵤
|
쇼
|
요
|
죠
|
쵸
|
쿄
|
툐
|
표
|
효
|
gyo
|
nyo
|
dyo
|
ryo
|
myo
|
byo
|
syo
|
yo
|
jyo
|
chyo
|
kyo
|
tyo
|
pyo
|
hyo
|
|
ㅜ
|
구
|
누
|
두
|
루
|
무
|
부
|
수
|
우
|
주
|
추
|
쿠
|
투
|
푸
|
후
|
gu
|
nu
|
du
|
ru
|
mu
|
bu
|
su
|
U
|
ju
|
chu
|
ku
|
tu
|
pu
|
Hu
|
|
ㅠ
|
규
|
뉴
|
듀
|
류
|
뮤
|
뷰
|
슈
|
유
|
쥬
|
츄
|
큐
|
튜
|
퓨
|
휴
|
gyu
|
nyu
|
dyu
|
ryu
|
myu
|
byu
|
syu
|
yu
|
jyu
|
chyu
|
kyu
|
tyu
|
pyu
|
hyu
|
|
ㅡ
|
그
|
느
|
드
|
르
|
므
|
브
|
스
|
으
|
즈
|
츠
|
크
|
트
|
프
|
흐
|
geu
|
neu
|
deu
|
reu
|
meu
|
beu
|
seu
|
eu
|
jeu
|
cheu
|
keu
|
teu
|
peu
|
heu
|
|
ㅣ
|
기
|
니
|
디
|
리
|
미
|
비
|
시
|
이
|
지
|
치
|
키
|
티
|
피
|
히
|
gi
|
ni
|
di
|
ri
|
mi
|
bi
|
si
|
I
|
ji
|
chi
|
ki
|
ti
|
pi
|
hi
|
Table - 2
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