A Guide to Pronouncing 2600 Korean Words175

Introduction

Korean is a beautiful and expressive language spoken by over 80 million people worldwide. While its grammar and syntax can be relatively straightforward, its pronunciation can be a bit of a challenge for non-native speakers. This is due in large part to the fact that Korean has a unique set of consonants and vowels that do not exist in English.

In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to pronouncing 2600 Korean words. We will cover all of the basic consonants and vowels, as well as some of the more common diphthongs and consonant clusters. By the end of this article, you will be able to pronounce even the most difficult Korean words with confidence.

Consonants

Korean has 19 consonants, which are divided into three categories: voiceless stops, voiced stops, and fricatives. Voiceless stops are produced by stopping the flow of air through the vocal cords, while voiced stops are produced by vibrating the vocal cords while stopping the flow of air. Fricatives are produced by creating a narrow opening in the vocal tract, which causes the air to flow turbulently.

The following table shows the Korean consonants, along with their corresponding IPA symbols:

Consonant
IPA
Description


ㄱ
[k]
Voiceless velar stop


ㄴ
[n]
Voiced alveolar nasal


ㄷ
[t]
Voiceless alveolar stop


ㄹ
[ɾ]
Voiced alveolar flap


ㅁ
[m]
Voiced bilabial nasal


ㅂ
[p]
Voiceless bilabial stop


ㅅ
[s]
Voiceless alveolar fricative


ㅇ
[ŋ]
Voiced velar nasal (initial position only)


ㅈ
[tɕ]
Voiceless palatal stop


ㅊ
[tɕʰ]
Aspirated voiceless palatal stop


ㅋ
[kʰ]
Aspirated voiceless velar stop


ㅌ
[tʰ]
Aspirated voiceless alveolar stop


ㅍ
[pʰ]
Aspirated voiceless bilabial stop


ㅎ
[h]
Voiceless glottal fricative

Vowels

Korean has 21 vowels, which are divided into two categories: monophthongs and diphthongs. Monophthongs are produced by maintaining a single vowel sound throughout the syllable, while diphthongs are produced by transitioning from one vowel sound to another within the same syllable.

The following table shows the Korean vowels, along with their corresponding IPA symbols:

Vowel
IPA
Description


ㅏ
[a]
Low front unrounded vowel


ㅑ
[ja]
High front unrounded vowel


ㅓ
[ʌ]
Mid central unrounded vowel


ㅕ
[jʌ]
High-mid central unrounded vowel


ㅗ
[o]
Mid back rounded vowel


ㅛ
[jo]
High back rounded vowel


ㅜ
[u]
High back rounded vowel


ㅠ
[ju]
High-mid back rounded vowel


ㅡ
[ɯ]
High central rounded vowel


ㅣ
[i]
High front unrounded vowel

Diphthongs

Korean has 11 diphthongs, which are formed by combining two vowels within the same syllable. The following table shows the Korean diphthongs, along with their corresponding IPA symbols:

Diphthong
IPA
Description


ㅐ
[ɛ]
Front open-mid unrounded vowel


ㅔ
[e]
Front close-mid unrounded vowel


ㅘ
[wa]
Back open-mid rounded vowel


ㅙ
[wɛ]
Front open-mid rounded vowel


ㅚ
[ø]
Front close-mid rounded vowel


ㅝ
[wʌ]
Central open-mid rounded vowel


ㅞ
[we]
Central close-mid rounded vowel


ㅟ
[wi]
Back close-mid rounded vowel


ㅢ
[ɰi]
Central close-mid unrounded vowel

Consonant Clusters

Korean has a variety of consonant clusters, which are formed by combining two or more consonants within the same syllable. The following are some of the most common Korean consonant clusters:
ㄱㄱ [kk]
ㄴㄴ [nn]
ㄷㄷ [tt]
ㄹㄹ [

2025-02-17

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