Explore the writing examples below. Sound comparisons are approximate; use complete words and recordings to develop your listening and pronunciation.
The first part is about the Korean consonants. Some letters have different pronunciation based on whether they are at the beginning of word (initial) or at the end of the word (final).
| ㄱ | --> [g] intial as in gold --> [k] final as in ink | ㄴ | --> [n] as in nice | ㄷ | --> [d] intial as in day --> [t] final as in hit | ㄹ | --> [r] intial as in ring --> [l] final as in tall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ㅁ | --> [m] as in me | ㅂ | --> [b] intial as in bat --> [p] tap as in top | ㅅ | --> [t] final as in hat | ㅇ | [silent] intial as in gold --> [ng] final as in ring |
| ㅈ | --> [j] intial as in jam --> [t] final as in pit | ㅊ | --> [ch] intial as in chat --> [t] final as in sit | ㅋ | --> [k] as in king | ㅌ | --> [t] as in time |
| ㅍ | --> [p] as in play | ㅎ | --> [h] intial as in hi --> [t] final as in wit | ㄲ | --> [gg] intial as in gas --> [k] final as in pick | ㄸ | --> [dd] intial as in dream --> [t] final as in sit |
| ㅃ | --> [dd] intial as in desk --> [pp] final as in tip | ㅆ | --> [ss] intial as in smart --> [t] final as in sit | ㅉ | --> [jj] intial as in jam --> [t] final as in hat |
These are the Korean vowels, and how they're pronounced.
| ㅏ | [a] as in Alabama |
| ㅐ | [ae] as in day |
| ㅑ | [ya] as in yard |
| ㅒ | [yae] as in yes |
| ㅓ | [eo] as in neon |
| ㅔ | [e] as in pet |
| ㅕ | [yeo] as in young |
| ㅖ | [ye] as in yes |
| ㅗ | [o] as in old |
| ㅘ | [wa] as in wax |
| ㅙ | [wae] as in wait |
| ㅚ | [oi] as in toy |
| ㅛ | [yo] as in yolk |
| ㅜ | [u] as in tool |
| ㅝ | [weo] as in won |
| ㅞ | [we] as in well |
| ㅟ | [ui] as in oui |
| ㅠ | [yu] as in you |
| ㅡ | [u] as in put |
| ㅢ | [ui] as in wit |
| ㅣ | [i] as in ink |
The above letters in Korean should allow you to read and write the following pages with much ease: popular phrases in Korean, Korean homepage, or Korean Grammar. Korean quiz and flashcard can also be found on our homepage.