How to read Hangul? - Practice (Hangul, Hangeul, Korean)

Practice Words

             The following words are English words, place names, brand names, common words and the names of foods written in 한글 to give you the chance to practice.  You should know what most of these words mean if you sound them out correctly.  The differences between English and Korean pronunciation schemes often mean that the Koreanized versions have extra syllables.  If it doesn’t make sense at first, try saying it a little faster.  Have fun!

뉴 질랜드	1. New Zealand	오렌지	45. orange
핫도그	2. hot dog	노래방	46. “noraebang” (singing room)
맥도날드	3. McDonald’s	에스켈레이터	47. escalator
스트레스	4. stress	버스	48. bus
코카 콜라	5. Coca Cola	멕시코	49. Mexico
파고다	6. Pagoda	치즈	50. cheese
헤이어 스타일	7. hairstyle	홍대	51. “Hongdae”
한국	8. Korea	크루즈	52. cruise
신촌	9. Shinchon	캥가루	53. kangaroo
롯데리아	10. Lotteria	키위	54. kiwi
비빔밥	11. “bibimbap”	인천	55. Incheon
인터넷	12.  internet	맥주	56. “maekju” (beer)
업그레이드	13. upgrade	위스키	57. whiskey
학원	14. hogwon	슈퍼마켓	58. supermarket
선생님	15. “seonsangnim” (teacher)	테이블	59. table
김치	16. kimchi	쇼파	60. sofa
피시방	17. “PC bang”	타이어	61. tire
바베큐 치킨	18. barbecue chicken	스페인	62. Spain
테킬라 선라이즈	19. tequila sunrise	사이다	63. cider (Korean 7Up)
바나나	20. banana	껌	64. gum
햄버거	21. hamburger	삼겹살	65. “sam gyup sal” (Korean bacon)
비디오 숍	22. video shop	갈비	66. “kalbi” (rib meat)
아이스 크림	23. ice cream	요구르트	67. yogurt
불고기	24. “bulgogi”	와인	68. wine
엘리베이터	25. elevator	뉴스	69. news
필리핀	26. the Philippines	스포츠	70. sports
러시아	27. Russia	현대	71. Hyundai
원 샷!	28. “one shot!”	카메라	72. camera
테니스	29. tennis	인터뷰	73. interview
월드 컵	30. World Cup	대우	74. Daewoo
택시	31. taxi	부산	75. Busan
컴퓨터	32. computer	볘트남	76. Vietnam
나이트클럽	33. nightclub	모니터	77. monitor
플로피 디스크	34. floppy disk	스위스	78. Switzerland
뉴욕	35. New York	샐러드	79. salad
필름	36. film	페인트	80. paint
텔레비전	37. television	볼펜	81. “ball(point) pen”
헬리콥터	38. helicopter	스타벅스	82. Starbucks
김밥	39. “kim bap” (Korean “sushi”)	이태원	83. Itaewon
프린터	40. printer	캐나다	84. Canada
레몬	41. lemon	칵테일	85. cocktail
소주	42. soju	팩스	86. fax
째즈 댄스	43. jazz dance	볶음밥	87. “bokkeum bap” (fried rice)
헬스 클럽	44. health club	담배	88. “dam bae” (cigarette)
		아프리카	89. Africa
		샤워	90. shower

How to read Hangul? - Basic (Hangul, Hangeul, Korean)

How to Read Hangeul

Beginning and Medial Consonants

Lax (Basic) Consonants		Tense (Doubled) Consonants*		Aspirated Consonants
ㄱ	g as in “girl”	ㄲ	g as in “girl”	ㅋ	k as in “kill”
ㄴ	n as in “nail”
ㄷ	d as in “dog”	ㄸ	d as in “dog”	ㅌ	t as in “top”
ㄹ	l as in “lemon”
ㅁ	m as in “meat”
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”
ㅇ	no sound			ㅎ	h as in “hat”
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)

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
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!)
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!)

Practice words click here

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

Source : http://www.koreanletter.net



Table - 2