Korean Alphabet Pronunciation Guide179

The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Hangeul, is a unique and efficient writing system that was created by King Sejong the Great in the 15th century. It consists of 24 basic letters, 10 vowels and 14 consonants, which can be combined to form syllables. Hangul is phonetic, meaning that each letter represents a specific sound, making it relatively easy to learn to read and write.

Vowels

The 10 Korean vowels are: ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ, ㅢ.

Letter
Pronunciation
Example


ㅏ
ah
바 (ba)


ㅓ
eo
버 (beo)


ㅗ
oh
보 (bo)


ㅜ
oo
부 (bu)


ㅣ
ee
비 (bi)


ㅐ
ae
배 (bae)


ㅔ
eh
베 (beh)


ㅚ
oe
최 (choe)


ㅟ
wi
귀 (gwi)


ㅢ
ui
의 (ui)

Consonants

The 14 Korean consonants are: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ.

Letter
Pronunciation
Example


ㄱ
g
가 (ga)


ㄴ
n
나 (na)


ㄷ
d
다 (da)


ㄹ
r/l
라 (ra)


ㅁ
m
마 (ma)


ㅂ
b
바 (ba)


ㅅ
s
사 (sa)


ㅇ
-
아 (a)


ㅈ
j
자 (ja)


ㅊ
ch
차 (cha)


ㅋ
k
카 (ka)


ㅌ
t
타 (ta)


ㅍ
p
파 (pa)


ㅎ
h
하 (ha)

Syllable Structure

Korean syllables are composed of an initial consonant, a vowel, and an optional final consonant. The initial consonant can be one of the 14 consonants, and the vowel can be one of the 10 vowels. The final consonant can be one of the 10 consonants: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ.

For example, the syllable "가" (ga) is composed of the initial consonant "ㄱ" (g), the vowel "ㅏ" (a), and no final consonant. The syllable "달" (dal) is composed of the initial consonant "ㄷ" (d), the vowel "ㅏ" (a), and the final consonant "ㄹ" (l).

Tones

Korean does not have tones, like Mandarin Chinese or Vietnamese. However, there are two types of emphasis that can be used to change the meaning of a word or sentence. These are called "accent" and "emphasis".

Accent is a rise in pitch on a particular syllable. It can be used to emphasize a certain word or phrase. For example, the sentence "저는 학생입니다" (I am a student) can be emphasized by placing an accent on the syllable "학" (hak).

Emphasis is a lengthening of a particular syllable. It can be used to indicate surprise, anger, or other emotions. For example, the sentence "정말?" (Really?) can be emphasized by lengthening the syllable "정" (jeong).

Learning Korean

Learning to read and write Korean is relatively easy, as the Hangul alphabet is phonetic and regular. There are many resources available online and in libraries that can help you learn Korean. With a little effort, you can be reading and writing Korean in no time.

2024-11-17

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