Korean Pronunciation 62: How to Pronounce ㄹ vs. ㅎ67

In Korean, there are two letters that can be challenging to pronounce for non-native speakers: ㄹ (rieul) and ㅎ (hieut). These letters are often confused with each other, as they both involve making a sound with the tongue against the roof of the mouth. However, there is a subtle difference in the way that these two letters are pronounced, and it is important to be able to distinguish between them in order to speak Korean correctly.

How to Pronounce ㄹ (rieul)

ㄹ is pronounced by placing the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth. You should then curl your tongue slightly and push air out from your lungs. The resulting sound should be a light, tapping sound, similar to the "r" sound in English.

Here are some examples of words that contain the letter ㄹ:* 라 (ra) - "this"
* 리 (ri) - "reason"
* 로 (ro) - "toward"
* 루 (ru) - "deer"
* 럼 (reum) - "rum"

How to Pronounce ㅎ (hieut)

ㅎ is pronounced by placing the back of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, near your soft palate. You should then curl your tongue slightly and push air out from your lungs. The resulting sound should be a deep, guttural sound, similar to the "h" sound in English.

Here are some examples of words that contain the letter ㅎ:* 하 (ha) - "below"
* 히 (hi) - "sun"
* 호 (ho) - "lake"
* 후 (hu) - "after"
* 흠 (heum) - "scar"

Distinguishing Between ㄹ and ㅎ

The main difference between the pronunciation of ㄹ and ㅎ is the placement of the tongue. For ㄹ, the tip of the tongue is placed against the roof of the mouth, just behind the front teeth. For ㅎ, the back of the tongue is placed against the roof of the mouth, near the soft palate.

Another way to distinguish between these two letters is to pay attention to the sound that they produce. ㄹ produces a light, tapping sound, similar to the "r" sound in English. ㅎ produces a deep, guttural sound, similar to the "h" sound in English.

Practice Pronouncing ㄹ and ㅎ

The best way to improve your pronunciation of ㄹ and ㅎ is to practice. Here are a few exercises that you can try:* Say the following words out loud, paying attention to the pronunciation of ㄹ and ㅎ:
* 라 (ra) vs. 하 (ha)
* 리 (ri) vs. 히 (hi)
* 로 (ro) vs. 호 (ho)
* 루 (ru) vs. 후 (hu)
* 럼 (reum) vs. 흠 (heum)
* Read aloud a passage of Korean text, paying attention to the pronunciation of ㄹ and ㅎ:
* You can find Korean texts online or in Korean textbooks.
* Listen to native Korean speakers and imitate their pronunciation:
* You can find Korean audio recordings online or in Korean language learning materials.
With practice, you will be able to pronounce ㄹ and ㅎ correctly and improve your Korean pronunciation overall.

2024-12-11

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