Korean Syllable Pronunciation Guide60

Learning how to pronounce Korean syllables is an essential step in mastering the Korean language. Similar to English and many other languages, Korean has both consonants and vowels. However, the way these sounds are combined to form syllables is unique to Korean.

In Korean, syllables are composed of an initial consonant, a vowel, and an optional final consonant. There are 19 initial consonants, 21 vowels (including diphthongs), and 27 final consonants. The initial consonant is always placed before the vowel, and the final consonant is placed after the vowel. For example, the syllable "가" is composed of the initial consonant "ㄱ," the vowel "ㅏ," and no final consonant.

To pronounce Korean syllables correctly, it is important to pay attention to the following rules:
Initial consonants: Initial consonants are pronounced with a slight aspiration, which means that there is a small puff of air released when they are pronounced. For example, the initial consonant "ㄱ" is pronounced with a slightly aspirated "k" sound.
Vowels: Korean vowels are pronounced very clearly and distinctly. There are no diphthongs in Korean, which means that each vowel is pronounced as a single, pure sound. For example, the vowel "ㅏ" is pronounced as a clear "ah" sound.
Final consonants: Final consonants are pronounced with a slight release of air. For example, the final consonant "ㄱ" is pronounced with a slight "k" sound. However, some final consonants, such as "ㄴ" and "ㅁ," are pronounced with a nasal sound.

The following table provides a comprehensive list of Korean syllables and their pronunciations:

Initial Consonant
Vowel
Final Consonant
Pronunciation

ㄱ
ㅏ

ka

ㄴ
ㅏ

na

ㄷ
ㅏ

ta

ㄹ
ㅏ

ra

ㅁ
ㅏ

ma

ㅂ
ㅏ

pa

ㅅ
ㅏ

sa

ㅇ
ㅏ

a

ㅈ
ㅏ

ja

ㅊ
ㅏ

cha

ㅋ
ㅏ

ka

ㅌ
ㅏ

ta

ㅍ
ㅏ

pa

ㅎ
ㅏ

ha