National Korean Pronunciation170

Introduction

Korean, a vibrant and expressive language spoken by over 80 million people worldwide, possesses a unique and intricate pronunciation system that can be challenging for non-native speakers to master. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the National Korean Pronunciation, officially established in 1933 as the standard form of spoken Korean in both North and South Korea. We will explore the phonetic inventory, including vowels, consonants, and diphthongs, as well as the phonological rules that govern their pronunciation.

Vowels

The Korean vowel system consists of 10 monophthongs and 1 diphthong. The six primary vowels are:
1. /a/ (ㅏ) - similar to the "a" in "father"
2. /e/ (ㅓ) - pronounced with the tongue slightly lower than the "e" in "bed"
3. /i/ (ㅣ) - as in "machine"
4. /o/ (ㅗ) - as in "boat"
5. /u/ (ㅜ) - as in "put"
6. /ʌ/ (ㅡ) - a short, unrounded vowel similar to the "u" in "but"

In addition, there are four secondary vowels that occur only in diphthongs:
1. /ae/ (ㅐ) - a diphthong between "a" and "e"
2. /oe/ (ㅚ) - a diphthong between "o" and "e"
3. /ya/ (ㅑ) - a diphthong between "ya" and "e"
4. /wo/ (ㅝ) - a diphthong between "wo" and "e"

Consonants

The Korean consonant inventory includes 19 consonants:
1. /p/ (ㅍ) - as in "pool"
2. /b/ (ㅂ) - as in "bat"
3. /t/ (ㅌ) - as in "top"
4. /d/ (ㄷ) - as in "dog"
5. /k/ (ㅋ) - as in "kick"
6. /g/ (ㄱ) - as in "go"
7. /s/ (ㅅ) - as in "sit"
8. /z/ (ㅈ) - as in "zoo"
9. /j/ (ㅈ) - as in "joy"
10. /ch/ (ㅊ) - as in "church"
11. /ph/ (ㅍ) - aspirated "p"
12. /th/ (ㅌ) - aspirated "t"
13. /kh/ (ㅋ) - aspirated "k"
14. /m/ (ㅁ) - as in "mother"
15. /n/ (ㄴ) - as in "net"
16. /ng/ (ㅇ) - as in "sing"
17. /l/ (ㄹ) - a voiced alveolar lateral flap
18. /r/ (ㄹ) - a voiced retroflex flap
19. /h/ (ㅎ) - as in "hat"

Diphthongs

Korean diphthongs combine a vowel with a glide:
1. /ae/ (애) - as in "apple"
2. /oe/ (외) - as in "oil"
3. /ya/ (야) - as in "yacht"
4. /wo/ (워) - as in "worry"

Phonological Rules

In addition to the basic sound system, Korean pronunciation is governed by several phonological rules:
1. Assimilation: Consonants can assimilate in voicing and place of articulation when adjacent to other consonants.
2. Tense and Lax Consonants: Consonants are either tense (aspirated) or lax (unaspirated), with tense consonants occurring initially in words and after vowels.
3. Vowel Harmony: Vowels within a word must agree in their height and backness features.

Conclusion

Mastering National Korean Pronunciation requires familiarization with the phonetic inventory and an understanding of the phonological rules that govern their usage. By studying the sounds and patterns presented in this article, learners can develop a more accurate and fluent pronunciation, enabling effective communication in Korean.

2024-12-16

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