Korean Pronunciation Assimilation Rules [Video]218

In Korean, pronunciation can vary depending on the surrounding sounds. This is known as assimilation, and it can be a bit tricky for learners to get the hang of. In this video, we'll go over the most common assimilation rules in Korean, and we'll provide some examples to help you understand how they work.

Assimilation of consonants

When two consonants are next to each other, the first consonant may assimilate to the second consonant. This can happen in several ways:
Assimilation of voicing: A voiceless consonant may become voiced if it is followed by a voiced consonant. For example, the word "밥" (bap, rice) is pronounced with a voiced "b" because it is followed by the voiced consonant "p".
Assimilation of place: A consonant may change its place of articulation to match the following consonant. For example, the word "꽃" (kkot, flower) is pronounced with a dental "t" because it is followed by the dental consonant "t".
Assimilation of manner: A consonant may change its manner of articulation to match the following consonant. For example, the word "값" (gap, price) is pronounced with a fricative "p" because it is followed by the fricative consonant "s".

Assimilation of vowels

When two vowels are next to each other, the first vowel may assimilate to the second vowel. This can happen in several ways:
Assimilation of height: A high vowel may become lower if it is followed by a lower vowel. For example, the word "아이" (ai, child) is pronounced with a lower "a" because it is followed by the lower vowel "i".
Assimilation of backness: A front vowel may become more back if it is followed by a back vowel. For example, the word "어머니" (eomeoni, mother) is pronounced with a more back "e" because it is followed by the back vowel "o".
Assimilation of rounding: A rounded vowel may become unrounded if it is followed by an unrounded vowel. For example, the word "왜" (wae, why) is pronounced with an unrounded "a" because it is followed by the unrounded vowel "e".

Assimilation in practice

Assimilation can have a significant impact on the pronunciation of Korean words. Here are some examples of how assimilation can change the pronunciation of a word:
The word "밥" (bap, rice) is pronounced with a voiced "b" because it is followed by the voiced consonant "p".
The word "꽃" (kkot, flower) is pronounced with a dental "t" because it is followed by the dental consonant "t".
The word "값" (gap, price) is pronounced with a fricative "p" because it is followed by the fricative consonant "s".
The word "아이" (ai, child) is pronounced with a lower "a" because it is followed by the lower vowel "i".
The word "어머니" (eomeoni, mother) is pronounced with a more back "e" because it is followed by the back vowel "o".
The word "왜" (wae, why) is pronounced with an unrounded "a" because it is followed by the unrounded vowel "e".

Assimilation is an important part of Korean pronunciation. By understanding how assimilation works, you can improve your pronunciation and make yourself more understandable to native Korean speakers.

2024-11-28

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