13 Korean Pronunciation Rules: Master the Sounds of Hangul305

Mastering Korean pronunciation is essential for effective communication in the language. While Hangul, the Korean writing system, may appear complex at first glance, understanding its 13 fundamental pronunciation rules will significantly improve your ability to speak Korean accurately and confidently.

1. Vowels: ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ

The five basic vowels of Korean are pronounced as follows:
ㅏ (a): Similar to the "a" in "father"
ㅓ (eo): Similar to the "uh" in "butter"
ㅗ (o): Similar to the "o" in "bone"
ㅜ (u): Similar to the "oo" in "boot"
ㅡ (eu): Similar to the "oo" in "foot" but with a shorter duration

2. Diphthongs: ㅐ, ㅒ, ㅔ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅝ, ㅞ

Diphthongs are combinations of vowels pronounced as a single syllable. The following are the nine Korean diphthongs:
ㅐ (ae): Similar to the "ay" in "day"
ㅒ (yae): Similar to the "yay" in "yay"
ㅔ (e): Similar to the "ey" in "hey"
ㅖ (ye): Similar to the "yay" in "yay" but with a shorter duration
ㅘ (wa): Similar to the "wa" in "water"
ㅙ (wae): Similar to the "way" in "way"
ㅚ (oe): Similar to the "oy" in "boy"
ㅝ (wo): Similar to the "wo" in "work"
ㅞ (we): Similar to the "way" in "way" but with a shorter duration

3. Consonants: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ

Korean consonants are generally pronounced similarly to their English counterparts, with a few notable exceptions:
ㄱ (g): Similar to the "k" in "kite"
ㄴ (n): Similar to the "n" in "nice"
ㄷ (d): Similar to the "t" in "top"
ㄹ (r): Can be pronounced as either an "l" or "r" sound, depending on context
ㅁ (m): Similar to the "m" in "mom"
ㅂ (b): Similar to the "b" in "bat"
ㅅ (s): Similar to the "s" in "song"
ㅇ (ng): Silent if it starts a syllable, pronounced as "ng" when it ends a syllable
ㅈ (j): Similar to the "j" in "joy"
ㅊ (ch): Similar to the "ch" in "cheese"
ㅋ (k): Similar to the "k" in "kite"
ㅌ (t): Similar to the "t" in "top"
ㅍ (p): Similar to the "p" in "pat"
ㅎ (h): Similar to the "h" in "hat"

4. Consonant Clusters: ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ

Korean consonant clusters consist of two consonants pronounced together as a single unit:
ㄲ (kk): Similar to the "k" in "kick"
ㄸ (tt): Similar to the "t" in "touch"
ㅃ (pp): Similar to the "p" in "pop"
ㅆ (ss): Similar to the "s" in "sister"
ㅉ (jj): Similar to the "j" in "jam"

5. Aspiration: ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ

Certain consonants are pronounced with a strong exhalation of air, known as aspiration:
ㄱ (k): Aspiration occurs at the beginning of a word, such as "김치" (kimchi)
ㄷ (t): Aspiration occurs at the beginning of a word, such as "돈" (money)
ㅂ (p): Aspiration occurs at the beginning of a word, such as "밥" (rice)
ㅈ (j): Aspiration occurs at the beginning of a word, such as "자전거" (bicycle)
ㅊ (ch): Aspiration occurs at the beginning of a word, such as "축구" (soccer)
ㅋ (k): Aspiration occurs at the beginning of a word, such as "커피" (coffee)
ㅌ (t): Aspiration occurs at the beginning of a word, such as "타이어" (tire)
ㅍ (p): Aspiration occurs at the beginning of a word, such as "피아노" (piano)

6. Gemination: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ

Consonants can be doubled (geminated) to indicate a longer or stronger pronunciation:
ㄱ (k): Gemination occurs in words like "꽃" (flower)
ㄴ (n): Gemination occurs in words like "안녕" (hello)
ㄷ (t): Gemination occurs in words like "따뜻하다" (warm)
ㄹ (r): Gemination occurs in words like "딸기" (strawberry)
ㅁ (m): Gemination occurs in words like "엄마" (mom)
ㅂ (p): Gemination occurs in words like "뼈" (bone)
ㅅ (s): Gemination occurs in words like "씨앗" (seed)
ㅇ (ng): Gemination occurs in words like "엉덩이" (hip)
ㅈ (j): Gemination occurs in words like "짜장면" (noodles with black bean sauce)
ㅊ (ch): Gemination occurs in words like "쪽지" (note)
ㅋ (k): Gemination occurs in words like "꺼꾸로" (upside down)
ㅌ (t): Gemination occurs in words like "뚜껑" (lid)
ㅍ (p): Gemination occurs in words like "뽑기" (to pull out)
ㅎ (h): Gemination occurs in words like "훨씬" (much more)

7. Nasalization: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅇ

certain consonants can be pronounced with a nasalized sound, meaning air flows through the nose:
ㄱ (k): Nasalization occurs in words like "항상" (always)
ㄴ (n): Nasalization occurs in words like "은행" (bank)
ㅁ (m): Nasalization occurs in words like "엄마" (mom)
ㅇ (ng): Nasalization occurs in words like "엉덩이" (hip)

8. Glottal Stop: ㅇ

The consonant ㅇ (ng) is often pronounced as a glottal stop, which is a brief interruption in airflow created by closing and suddenly releasing the vocal cords.

9. Assimilation: ㄴ, ㄹ, ㅂ, ㅁ, ㅌ

Certain consonants change their sound when they are followed by another consonant, a process known as assimilation:
ㄴ (n): Assimilates

2024-12-28

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