Korean Pronunciation: The Third Lesson136

In this lesson, we will continue our discussion of Korean pronunciation. We will cover the following topics:
The diphthongs
The consonants
The final consonants

The Diphthongs

The diphthongs are vowel sounds that are pronounced as a combination of two vowel sounds. Korean has three diphthongs:
ㅐ (ae) is pronounced as a combination of the vowel sounds [a] and [i].
ㅔ (e) is pronounced as a combination of the vowel sounds [e] and [i].
ㅚ (oe) is pronounced as a combination of the vowel sounds [o] and [i].

The diphthongs are pronounced similarly to the diphthongs in English. However, there are some subtle differences in pronunciation. For example, the diphthong [ae] in Korean is pronounced with a slightly more open mouth than the diphthong [ae] in English. The diphthong [e] in Korean is pronounced with a slightly more closed mouth than the diphthong [e] in English. And the diphthong [oe] in Korean is pronounced with a slightly more rounded mouth than the diphthong [oe] in English.

The Consonants

Korean has 19 consonants. The consonants are divided into three groups: the unaspirated consonants, the aspirated consonants, and the affricate consonants.
The unaspirated consonants are pronounced without a puff of air. The unaspirated consonants include: ㄱ (g), ㄴ (n), ㄷ (d), ㄹ (r), ㅁ (m), ㅂ (b), ㅅ (s), and ㅇ (ng).
The aspirated consonants are pronounced with a puff of air. The aspirated consonants include: ㅋ (k), ㅌ (t), ㅊ (ch), and ㅍ (p).
The affricate consonants are pronounced as a combination of a stop consonant and a fricative consonant. The affricate consonants include: ㅈ (j), ㅊ (ch), and ㅉ (jj).

The consonants are pronounced similarly to the consonants in English. However, there are some subtle differences in pronunciation. For example, the unaspirated consonant [g] in Korean is pronounced with a slightly more open mouth than the unaspirated consonant [g] in English. The aspirated consonant [k] in Korean is pronounced with a slightly more closed mouth than the aspirated consonant [k] in English. And the affricate consonant [j] in Korean is pronounced with a slightly more rounded mouth than the affricate consonant [j] in English.

The Final Consonants

The final consonants are the consonants that occur at the end of a syllable. Korean has four final consonants: ㄱ (g), ㄴ (n), ㄷ (d), and ㄹ (r).

The final consonants are pronounced differently depending on the preceding vowel sound. For example, the final consonant [g] is pronounced as [k] after a back vowel sound, as in the word 바다 (bada). The final consonant [g] is pronounced as [ŋ] after a front vowel sound, as in the word 나다 (nada). The final consonant [n] is pronounced as [n] after a front vowel sound, as in the word 나라 (nara). The final consonant [n] is pronounced as [m] after a back vowel sound, as in the word바다 (bada). The final consonant [d] is pronounced as [t] after a back vowel sound, as in the word 바다 (bada). The final consonant [d] is pronounced as [d] after a front vowel sound, as in the word 나다 (nada). The final consonant [r] is pronounced as [r] after both front and back vowel sounds, as in the words 나라 (nara) and 바다 (bada).

The final consonants are an important part of Korean pronunciation. They can change the meaning of a word, so it is important to pronounce them correctly.

2024-12-08

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