Comprehensive Guide to Korean Phonetic Transcription and Pronunciation135

The Korean language, known for its rich and distinct sound system, employs a unique phonetic alphabet known as Hangul. Hangul consists of two sets of characters: jamo and syllables. Jamo represent individual sounds, while syllables combine jamo to form pronounceable units. To accurately represent Korean pronunciation, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is used in this guide, which provides a comprehensive transcription of Korean sounds.

Vowels

Korean has 10 vowel sounds, including monophthongs and diphthongs.
Monophthongs:

Symbol
IPA Transcription
Example


ㅏ
[a]
바다 (bada) - sea


ㅑ
[ja]
야구 (yagu) - baseball


ㅓ
[ʌ]
어깨 (eokkae) - shoulder


ㅕ
[jʌ]
여우 (yeou) - fox


ㅗ
[o]
옷 (ot) - clothes

Diphthongs:

Symbol
IPA Transcription
Example


ㅐ
[ɛ]
개 (gae) - dog


ㅒ
[jɛ]
예 (ye) - yes


ㅔ
[e]
케이크 (keikeu) - cake


ㅖ
[je]
예술 (yesul) - art


ㅢ
[ɰi]
의사 (uisa) - doctor

Consonants

Korean consonants are divided into six categories based on their place of articulation: bilabial, alveolar, palatal, velar, glottal, and aspirated.

Symbol
IPA Transcription
Place of Articulation
Type


ㅂ
[p]
Bilabial
Voiceless Stop


ㅍ
[pʰ]
Bilabial
Aspirated Voiceless Stop


ㅁ
[m]
Bilabial
Voiced Nasal


ㄷ
[t]
Alveolar
Voiceless Stop


ㅌ
[tʰ]
Alveolar
Aspirated Voiceless Stop


ㄴ
[n]
Alveolar
Voiced Nasal


ㅈ
[t͡ɕ]
Palatal
Voiceless Affricate


ㅊ
[t͡ɕʰ]
Palatal
Aspirated Voiceless Affricate


ㅅ
[s]
Alveolar
Voiceless Fricative


ㅆ
[s͈]
Alveolar
Tense Voiceless Fricative


ㄹ
[ɾ]
Alveolar
Voiced Lateral Flap


ㄱ
[k]
Velar
Voiceless Stop


ㅋ
[kʰ]
Velar
Aspirated Voiceless Stop


ㄲ
[k͈]
Velar
Tense Voiceless Stop


ㄳ
[ŋ]
Velar
Voiced Nasal


ㅇ
[ŋ]
Velar
Velar Nasal (Initial Position)


ㅎ
[h]
Glottal
Voiceless Glottal Fricative

Syllables

Korean syllables are composed of at least one consonant and one vowel. Syllable structure follows a specific pattern: [Initial Consonant] + [Medial Vowel] + [Final Consonant]

Initial Consonants

Any consonant (except ㅎ) can initiate a syllable.

Medial Vowels

Any vowel (including diphthongs) can occupy the medial position.

Final Consonants

The following consonants can end a syllable:

Symbol
IPA Transcription


ㄱ
[k]


ㄴ
[n]


ㄷ
[t]


ㄹ
[ɾ]


ㅁ
[m]


ㅂ
[p]


ㅅ
[s]


ㅇ
[ŋ]

Special Rules

Double consonants are pronounced as tense, e.g. ㄲ [k͈].
Nasals are assimilated to the following consonant, e.g. 낳다 [nat̚t͈a] (to give birth).
Final consonants are often devoiced in connected speech, e.g. 끝 [k͈ut̚] (end).

2024-12-09

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