Korean Syllable Chart: A Comprehensive Guide to Pronunciation387

The Korean language is a fascinating and unique language with its own distinct alphabet, grammar, and pronunciation. One of the most important aspects of learning Korean is understanding the Korean syllable chart, which is a table that shows all the possible combinations of consonants and vowels in the Korean language. This chart is essential for learning how to pronounce Korean words correctly and for understanding the written form of the language.

Vowels

The Korean syllable chart consists of 19 vowels, which are divided into two main categories: monophthongs and diphthongs.
Monophthongs are single vowel sounds, such as the "a" in "apple" or the "i" in "ice". There are 11 monophthongs in Korean:

Symbol
Romanization
Pronunciation

ㅏ
a
ah

ㅑ
ya
yah

ㅓ
eo
o

ㅕ
yeo
yo

ㅗ
o
oh

ㅛ
yo
yoh

ㅜ
u
oo

ㅠ
yu
yoo

ㅡ
eu
eu

ㅣ
i
ee

ㅐ
ae
ay

Diphthongs are combinations of two vowel sounds, such as the "i" in "eye" or the "o" in "out". There are 8 diphthongs in Korean:

Symbol
Romanization
Pronunciation

ㅘ
wa
wah

ㅙ
wae
way

ㅚ
oe
oey

ㅝ
wo
woh

ㅞ
we
way

ㅟ
wi
wee

ㅢ
ui
wee

diphthongs are generally pronounced with the first vowel sound being more prominent than the second.

Consonants

The Korean syllable chart also consists of 19 consonants, which are divided into three main categories: voiceless stops, voiced stops, and fricatives.
Voiceless stops are consonants that are produced by stopping the flow of air in the mouth, such as the "p" in "pot" or the "t" in "top". There are 5 voiceless stops in Korean:

Symbol
Romanization
Pronunciation

ㄱ
g
k

ㅋ
k
k

ㄷ
d
t

ㅌ
t
t

ㅂ
b
p

Voiced stops are consonants that are produced by stopping the flow of air in the mouth and then releasing it with a vibration of the vocal cords, such as the "b" in "boy" or the "d" in "dog". There are 4 voiced stops in Korean:

Symbol
Romanization
Pronunciation

ㄱ
g
g

ㅋ
k
g

ㄷ
d
d

ㅌ
t
d

Fricatives are consonants that are produced by directing the flow of air through a narrow opening in the mouth, such as the "f" in "fish" or the "v" in "vine". There are 10 fricatives in Korean:

Symbol
Romanization
Pronunciation

ㅅ
s
s

ㅆ
ss
ss

ㅈ
j
j

ㅉ
jj
jj

ㅊ
ch
ch

ㅋ
k
k