Korean Phonology: The Twelve Pronunciations139

Korean phonology is the study of the sound system of the Korean language. It is a complex and fascinating system, with a wide variety of sounds and patterns. One of the most distinctive features of Korean phonology is the presence of twelve pronunciations, which are used to distinguish between different syllables. These pronunciations are: plain, aspirated, tense, lax, fortis, lenis, nasal, unreleased, aspirated unreleased, tense unreleased, lax unreleased, fortis unreleased, and lenis unreleased.

The plain pronunciation is the most basic pronunciation, and it is used for syllables that do not have any special features. The aspirated pronunciation is used for syllables that begin with a voiceless consonant, and it is produced with a puff of air after the consonant. The tense pronunciation is used for syllables that have a long vowel, and it is produced with a higher pitch than the plain pronunciation. The lax pronunciation is used for syllables that have a short vowel, and it is produced with a lower pitch than the plain pronunciation.

The fortis pronunciation is used for syllables that are stressed, and it is produced with a greater intensity than the plain pronunciation. The lenis pronunciation is used for syllables that are not stressed, and it is produced with a lesser intensity than the plain pronunciation. The nasal pronunciation is used for syllables that end in a nasal consonant, and it is produced with a nasal resonance.

The unreleased pronunciation is used for syllables that end in a consonant that is not released, and it is produced with a sudden stop of the airflow. The aspirated unreleased pronunciation is used for syllables that end in a voiceless consonant that is not released, and it is produced with a puff of air after the consonant. The tense unreleased pronunciation is used for syllables that end in a long vowel that is not released, and it is produced with a higher pitch than the plain unreleased pronunciation.

The lax unreleased pronunciation is used for syllables that end in a short vowel that is not released, and it is produced with a lower pitch than the plain unreleased pronunciation. The fortis unreleased pronunciation is used for syllables that end in a stressed consonant that is not released, and it is produced with a greater intensity than the plain unreleased pronunciation. The lenis unreleased pronunciation is used for syllables that end in an unstressed consonant that is not released, and it is produced with a lesser intensity than the plain unreleased pronunciation.

The twelve pronunciations of Korean are a complex and fascinating system. They are used to distinguish between different syllables, and they play an important role in the phonology of the language. Understanding the twelve pronunciations is essential for understanding Korean phonology.

2025-01-03

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