Korean Alphabet Pronunciation Guide [Hangul Phonetics]296

IntroductionThe Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, is a unique and efficient writing system designed to represent the sounds of the Korean language. It was created in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great and has since become an integral part of Korean culture and identity.

Hangul consists of 40 characters, including 19 consonants and 21 vowels. The consonants are represented by three types of symbols: initial, medial, and final. The vowels are represented by four basic shapes that can be combined to form diphthongs.

In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to the pronunciation of all 40 Hangul characters. We will include both the Romanized pronunciations and the IPA symbols.

Consonants


Initial
Romanization
IPA




ㄱ
g
/g/


ㄴ
n
/n/


ㄷ
d
/d/


ㄹ
r
/r/


ㅁ
m
/m/


ㅂ
b
/b/


ㅅ
s
/s/


ㅇ
- (silent)
-


ㅈ
j
/dʒ/


ㅊ
ch
/tʃ/


ㅋ
k
/k/


ㅌ
t
/t/


ㅍ
p
/p/


ㅎ
h
/h/






Medial
Romanization
IPA




ㄱ
g
/g/


ㄴ
n
/n/


ㄷ
d
/d/


ㄹ
r
/r/


ㅁ
m
/m/


ㅂ
b
/b/


ㅅ
s
/s/


ㅇ
- (silent)
-


ㅈ
j
/dʒ/


ㅊ
ch
/tʃ/


ㅋ
k
/k/


ㅌ
t
/t/


ㅍ
p
/p/


ㅎ
h
/h/






Final
Romanization
IPA




ㄱ
k
/k/


ㄴ
n
/n/


ㄷ
t
/t/


ㄹ
l
/l/


ㅁ
m
/m/


ㅂ
p
/p/


ㅅ
t
/t/


ㅇ
ng
/ŋ/


ㅈ
t
/t/


ㅊ
t
/t/


ㅋ
k
/k/


ㅌ
t
/t/


ㅍ
p
/p/


ㅎ
t
/t/

Vowels


Symbol
Romanization
IPA




ㅏ
a
/a/


ㅑ
ya
/ja/


ㅓ
eo
/ʌ/


ㅕ
yeo
/jʌ/


ㅗ
o
/o/


ㅛ
yo
/jo/


ㅜ
u
/u/


ㅠ
yu
/ju/


ㅡ
eu
/ɯ/


ㅣ
i
/i/






Double Vowels
Romanization
IPA




ㅐ
ae
/ɛ/


ㅒ
yae
/jɛ/


ㅔ
e
/e/


ㅖ
ye
/je/


ㅘ
wa
/wa/


ㅙ
wae
/wɛ/


ㅚ
oe
/ø/


ㅝ
wo
/wo/


ㅞ
we
/we/


ㅟ
wi
/wi/

Example WordsHere are some example words to demonstrate how the Hangul characters are pronounced:
안녕하세요 (Hello) - annyeonghaseyo
감사합니다 (Thank you) - gamsahamnida
사랑해요 (I love you) - saranghaeyo
한국어 (Korean language) - hangugeo
세계 (World) - segye

ConclusionThe Korean alphabet is a relatively easy writing system to learn, and its pronunciation is straightforward. By following the guidelines provided in this article, you should be able to master the pronunciation of all 40 Hangul characters. This will enable you to pronounce Korean words correctly and communicate effectively with Korean speakers.

2025-02-05

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