Korean Pronunciation for Dummies14

Learning to pronounce Korean words correctly can be a daunting task for non-native speakers. However, with a little practice and the right resources, you can master the basics of Korean pronunciation in no time. This guide will provide you with everything you need to know about Korean pronunciation, from the alphabet to the different vowel and consonant sounds.

The Korean Alphabet

The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, is a unique and efficient writing system that was created in the 15th century. Hangul consists of 24 letters: 14 consonants and 10 vowels. The letters are arranged into blocks, with each block representing a syllable. For example, the syllable "가" is written with the letters ㄱ (g), ㅏ (a), and ㅁ (m).

Vowels

Korean has 10 vowel sounds, which are represented by the following letters:* ㅏ (a)
* ㅑ (ya)
* ㅓ (eo)
* ㅕ (yeo)
* ㅗ (o)
* ㅛ (yo)
* ㅜ (u)
* ㅠ (yu)
* ㅡ (eu)
* ㅣ (i)

The vowel sounds in Korean are relatively straightforward to pronounce. The letter ㅏ (a) is pronounced like the "a" in "father." The letter ㅑ (ya) is pronounced like the "ya" in "yard." The letter ㅓ (eo) is pronounced like the "o" in "low." The letter ㅕ (yeo) is pronounced like the "yo" in "yes." The letter ㅗ (o) is pronounced like the "o" in "boat." The letter ㅛ (yo) is pronounced like the "yo" in "yo-yo." The letter ㅜ (u) is pronounced like the "oo" in "boot." The letter ㅠ (yu) is pronounced like the "you" in "you." The letter ㅡ (eu) is pronounced like the "eu" in "neutral." The letter ㅣ (i) is pronounced like the "ee" in "feet."

Consonants

Korean has 14 consonant sounds, which are represented by the following letters:* ㄱ (g)
* ㄴ (n)
* ㄷ (d)
* ㄹ (r)
* ㅁ (m)
* ㅂ (b)
* ㅅ (s)
* ㅇ (ng)
* ㅈ (j)
* ㅊ (ch)
* ㅋ (k)
* ㅌ (t)
* ㅍ (p)
* ㅎ (h)

The consonant sounds in Korean are generally similar to the consonant sounds in English. However, there are a few important differences to note.

The letter ㄱ (g) is pronounced like the "g" in "go." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "k" in "cat." For example, the word "가다" (to go) is pronounced "gada." However, the word "국가" (country) is pronounced "gukga."

The letter ㄴ (n) is pronounced like the "n" in "nose." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "m" in "mom." For example, the word "나라" (country) is pronounced "nara." However, the word "남자" (man) is pronounced "namja."

The letter ㄷ (d) is pronounced like the "d" in "dog." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "t" in "top." For example, the word "다리" (bridge) is pronounced "dari." However, the word "떡볶이" (Korean rice cake) is pronounced "tteokbokki."

The letter ㄹ (r) is pronounced like the "r" in "roll." However, it is important to note that the Korean "r" sound is much softer than the English "r" sound. It is often described as a "flapped" sound, which means that it is produced by lightly tapping the tongue against the roof of the mouth.

The letter ㅁ (m) is pronounced like the "m" in "mom." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "b" in "boy." For example, the word "말" (horse) is pronounced "mal." However, the word "못" (nail) is pronounced "bot."

The letter ㅂ (b) is pronounced like the "b" in "boy." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "p" in "pop." For example, the word "바다" (sea) is pronounced "bada." However, the word "밥" (rice) is pronounced "bap."

The letter ㅅ (s) is pronounced like the "s" in "sun." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "sh" in "shoe." For example, the word "산" (mountain) is pronounced "san." However, the word "시장" (market) is pronounced "shijang."

The letter ㅇ (ng) is pronounced like the "ng" in "sing." It is important to note that the Korean "ng" sound is not the same as the English "ng" sound. The Korean "ng" sound is produced by placing the tongue against the back of the throat and vibrating the vocal cords.

The letter ㅈ (j) is pronounced like the "j" in "jump." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "ch" in "church." For example, the word "자다" (to sleep) is pronounced "chada." However, the word "집" (house) is pronounced "chip."

The letter ㅊ (ch) is pronounced like the "ch" in "church." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "t" in "top." For example, the word "차다" (to pour) is pronounced "chada." However, the word " 철" (iron) is pronounced "teol."

The letter ㅋ (k) is pronounced like the "k" in "kick." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "g" in "go." For example, the word "카다" (to cut) is pronounced "kada." However, the word "골프" (golf) is pronounced "golpe."

The letter ㅌ (t) is pronounced like the "t" in "top." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "d" in "dog." For example, the word "타다" (to ride) is pronounced "tada." However, the word "덜다" (to remove) is pronounced "deolda."

The letter ㅍ (p) is pronounced like the "p" in "pop." However, when it is followed by a vowel, it is pronounced more like the "b" in "boy." For example, the word "파다" (to sell) is pronounced "pada." However, the word "밥" (rice) is pronounced "bap."

The letter ㅎ (h) is pronounced like the "h" in "house." However, it is important to note that the Korean "h" sound is much softer than the English "h" sound. It is often described as a "breathy" sound, which means that it is produced by expelling air from the mouth without vibrating the vocal cords.

2024-11-01

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