The Hangul 40 Sounds: An Illustrated Pronunciation Guide224

The Hangul alphabet, also known as the Korean alphabet, is a unique writing system that was created in the 15th century. It consists of 24 consonants and 21 vowels, which can be combined to form syllables. Hangul is a highly efficient and easy-to-learn writing system, and it is used to write the Korean language.

The 40 Hangul sounds are divided into four categories: stops, fricatives, affricates, and nasals. Stops are sounds that are produced by stopping the flow of air through the vocal tract. Fricatives are sounds that are produced by forcing air through a narrow opening in the vocal tract. Affricates are sounds that are produced by a combination of a stop and a fricative. Nasals are sounds that are produced by allowing air to flow through the nose.

The following table shows the 40 Hangul sounds, along with their corresponding International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols:| Hangul | IPA | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | k | Voiceless velar stop |
| ㄴ | n | Voiced alveolar nasal |
| ㄷ | t | Voiceless alveolar stop |
| ㄹ | r | Voiced alveolar flap |
| ㅁ | m | Voiced bilabial nasal |
| ㅂ | p | Voiceless bilabial stop |
| ㅅ | s | Voiceless alveolar fricative |
| ㅇ | ŋ | Voiced velar nasal |
| ㅈ | tɕ | Voiceless alveolar affricate |
| ㅊ | tʃ | Voiceless alveolar-palatal affricate |
| ㅋ | kʰ | Voiced velar stop |
| ㅌ | tʰ | Voiced alveolar stop |
| ㅍ | pʰ | Voiced bilabial stop |
| ㅎ | h | Voiced glottal fricative |
| ㅏ | a | Open back unrounded vowel |
| ㅑ | ya | Open front unrounded vowel |
| ㅓ | eo | Open front unrounded vowel |
| ㅕ | yeo | Open front unrounded vowel |
| ㅗ | o | Close back rounded vowel |
| ㅛ | yo | Close front rounded vowel |
| ㅜ | u | Close back rounded vowel |
| ㅠ | yu | Close front rounded vowel |
| ㅡ | eu | Mid central unrounded vowel |
| ㅣ | i | Close front unrounded vowel |
| ㅐ | ae | Open front unrounded vowel |
| ㅒ | yae | Open front unrounded vowel |
| ㅔ | e | Close front unrounded vowel |
| ㅖ | ye | Close front unrounded vowel |
| ㅘ | wa | Open back rounded vowel |
| ㅙ | wae | Open back rounded vowel |
| ㅚ | oe | Close front rounded vowel |
| ㅝ | weo | Close back rounded vowel |
| ㅞ | we | Close back rounded vowel |
| ㅟ | wi | Close front rounded vowel |
| ㅢ | ui | Close back rounded vowel |

The Hangul 40 sounds can be combined to form syllables. A syllable consists of an onset, a nucleus, and a coda. The onset is the initial consonant or consonants of a syllable. The nucleus is the vowel of a syllable. The coda is the final consonant or consonants of a syllable.

The following are some examples of Hangul syllables:| Hangul | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| 가 | ka |
| 나 | na |
| 다 | ta |
| 라 | ra |
| 마 | ma |
| 바 | pa |
| 사 | sa |
| 아 | a |
| 자 | ja |
| 차 | cha |
| 카 | kha |
| 타 | tha |
| 파 | pha |
| 하 | ha |

Hangul is a highly efficient and easy-to-learn writing system. It is used to write the Korean language, which is spoken by over 75 million people worldwide.

2024-12-03

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