Korean Pronunciation Basics for Beginners274

Korean is a phonetic language, meaning that each letter has a specific sound. This makes it relatively easy to learn the Korean alphabet and start pronouncing words correctly. In this article, we will introduce you to the 15 basic Korean consonants and vowels, and provide some tips on how to pronounce them correctly.

Consonants

There are 14 basic Korean consonants, which are written using the Hangul alphabet. Each consonant has a specific sound, which is determined by the shape of the letter. The following table shows the 14 basic consonants, along with their corresponding sound and pronunciation guide:| Consonant | Sound | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | g | Like the "g" in "go" |
| ㄴ | n | Like the "n" in "no" |
| ㄷ | d | Like the "d" in "do" |
| ㄹ | r | Like the "r" in "run" |
| ㅁ | m | Like the "m" in "me" |
| ㅂ | b | Like the "b" in "ball" |
| ㅅ | s | Like the "s" in "sit" |
| ㅇ | ng | Like the "ng" in "sing" |
| ㅈ | j | Like the "j" in "jump" |
| ㅊ | ch | Like the "ch" in "church" |
| ㅋ | k | Like the "k" in "kite" |
| ㅌ | t | Like the "t" in "top" |
| ㅍ | p | Like the "p" in "pop" |
| ㅎ | h | Like the "h" in "hot" |

In addition to the 14 basic consonants, there are also two additional consonants, ㄲ and ㅆ, which are used to represent double consonants. These consonants are pronounced by doubling the sound of the corresponding basic consonant.

Vowels

There are 10 basic Korean vowels, which are written using the Hangul alphabet. Each vowel has a specific sound, which is determined by the shape of the letter. The following table shows the 10 basic vowels, along with their corresponding sound and pronunciation guide:| Vowel | Sound | Pronunciation Guide |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | a | Like the "a" in "father" |
| ㅑ | ya | Like the "ya" in "yard" |
| ㅓ | eo | Like the "eo" in "George" |
| ㅕ | yeo | Like the "yeo" in "yes" |
| ㅗ | o | Like the "o" in "go" |
| ㅛ | yo | Like the "yo" in "yoyo" |
| ㅜ | u | Like the "u" in "put" |
| ㅠ | yu | Like the "yu" in "you" |
| ㅡ | eu | Like the "eu" in "deux" |
| ㅣ | i | Like the "i" in "sit" |

In addition to the 10 basic vowels, there are also two additional vowels, ㅐ and ㅔ, which are used to represent diphthongs. These vowels are pronounced by combining the sounds of two basic vowels.

Tips for Pronouncing Korean

Here are a few tips to help you pronounce Korean correctly:
Pay attention to the shape of the letters. The shape of each letter corresponds to a specific sound.
Pronounce the consonants clearly. Korean consonants are often pronounced more forcefully than English consonants.
Pronounce the vowels clearly. Korean vowels are often pronounced more distinctly than English vowels.
Practice regularly. The best way to improve your Korean pronunciation is to practice regularly.

Conclusion

Learning the Korean alphabet and pronunciation is a great way to start your Korean language learning journey. By understanding the basic sounds of Korean, you will be able to start pronouncing words and phrases correctly. With practice, you will be able to speak Korean fluently and confidently.

2024-12-02

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