How To Pronounce Korean: A Beginner‘s Guide61

Korean is a beautiful and expressive language, but it can be tricky for beginners to pronounce. The good news is that with a little practice, you'll be able to master the basics of Korean pronunciation in no time.

Vowels

Korean has 10 vowels: ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, and ㅣ. These vowels are pronounced as follows:
ㅏ: ah, as in "father"
ㅑ: yah, as in "yard"
ㅓ: eo, as in "burn"
ㅕ: yeo, as in "yes"
ㅗ: oh, as in "hope"
ㅛ: yo, as in "yoke"
ㅜ: oo, as in "pool"
ㅠ: yoo, as in "few"
ㅡ: eu, as in "fur"
ㅣ: ee, as in "see"

When two vowels are next to each other, they form a diphthong. The most common diphthongs are:
ㅐ: ae, as in "air"
ㅔ: eh, as in "egg"
ㅘ: wa, as in "water"
ㅝ: wo, as in "work"
ㅢ: ui, as in "suit"

Consonants

Korean has 14 consonants: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, and ㅎ. These consonants are pronounced as follows:
ㄱ: g, as in "go"
ㄴ: n, as in "nose"
ㄷ: d, as in "dog"
ㄹ: r, as in "run"
ㅁ: m, as in "mom"
ㅂ: b, as in "ball"
ㅅ: s, as in "sun"
ㅇ: ng, as in "sing"
ㅈ: j, as in "jump"
ㅊ: ch, as in "church"
ㅋ: k, as in "kite"
ㅌ: t, as in "top"
ㅍ: p, as in "pop"
ㅎ: h, as in "hot"

When two consonants are next to each other, they form a cluster. The most common consonant clusters are:
ㄱㅅ: ks, as in "box"
ㄴㄹ: nr, as in "learn"
ㄵ: bs, as in "jobs"
ㄹㅁ: rm, as in "warm"
ㄹㅂ: rb, as in "orb"
ㄹㅅ: rs, as in "horse"
ㄹㅌ: rt, as in "art"
ㄹㅍ: rp, as in "harp"

Putting It All Together

Now that you know how to pronounce Korean vowels and consonants, you can start putting them together to form words. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
When pronouncing a word, always start with the first syllable and work your way to the last.
Each syllable should be pronounced clearly and distinctly.
Don't be afraid to exaggerate the pronunciation at first. This will help you to get the hang of it.

With a little practice, you'll be able to pronounce Korean words like a native speaker. So what are you waiting for? Start practicing today!

2024-11-08

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