Korean is written with Hangul, a phonetic alphabet. Each syllable is a
block made from consonants and vowels, e.g. 한 = ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ.
This page gives a quick overview of how to pronounce the most important sounds.
1. Syllable structure
- Each written block = one syllable.
- Basic pattern: C + V or C + V + C.
- If a syllable starts with a vowel sound, use silent ㅇ in front:
아= ㅇ + ㅏ.
| Block | Breakdown | Pronounced | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가 | ㄱ + ㅏ | ga (like “ga” in “garden”) | |
| 고 | ㄱ + ㅗ | go (rounded “go”) | |
| 강 | ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅇ | gang (“ng” at the end) | |
| 아 | ㅇ + ㅏ | a (silent ㅇ) |
2. Vowels
These are the core simple vowels. Try to keep them short and clean (no diphthongs).
| Vowel | Approximate sound | Example | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | a – like “a” in father | 아 (a) | |
| ㅓ | eo – like “uh” in sun | 어 (eo) | |
| ㅗ | o – like “o” in go (rounded) | 오 (o) | |
| ㅜ | u – like “oo” in food | 우 (u) | |
| ㅡ | eu – back vowel, between “oo” and “uh” | 으 (eu) | |
| ㅣ | i – like “ee” in see | 이 (i) |
A simple rule: ㅓ vs ㅗ (eo vs o) and ㅡ vs ㅜ (eu vs u) are the pairs learners mix up most. Listen carefully and imitate.
3. Plain, aspirated, and tense consonants
Korean has three “strengths” of some consonants: plain, aspirated (with a puff of air), and tense (tight, no puff).
k / t / p / ch sets
| Type | Hangul | Example syllable | Hint | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plain k/g | ㄱ | 가 | ga – soft, between g and k | |
| Aspirated k | ㅋ | 카 | kha – strong “kh”, with air | |
| Tense kk | ㄲ | 까 | kka – tight, no air, more “punchy” | |
| Plain t/d | ㄷ | 다 | da/ta – soft | |
| Aspirated t | ㅌ | 타 | tha – strong t with air | |
| Tense tt | ㄸ | 따 | tta – tight, no air | |
| Plain p/b | ㅂ | 바 | ba/pa – soft | |
| Aspirated p | ㅍ | 파 | pha – strong p with air | |
| Tense pp | ㅃ | 빠 | ppa – tight, no air | |
| Plain ch/j | ㅈ | 자 | ja – like “jah” | |
| Aspirated ch | ㅊ | 차 | cha – like “ch” in “church” with air | |
| Tense jj | ㅉ | 짜 | jja – tight, no air |
A simple test: put your hand in front of your mouth. For aspirated sounds (ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ) you will feel a clear puff of air. For tense ones (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) you don’t.
4. Final consonants (받침, batchim)
When a consonant is written at the bottom of a block, its pronunciation is often simplified:
- Final ㄱ, ㅋ, ㄲ → sound like [k], e.g.
국≈ “guk”. - Final ㄷ, ㅌ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ → sound like [t], e.g.
옷≈ “ot”. - Final ㅂ, ㅍ → sound like [p], e.g.
집≈ “jip”. - Final ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅇ, ㄹ keep their basic nasal / l sound.
| Word | Hangul | Hint | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korea | 한국 | Hanguk (final ㄱ = k) | |
| Clothes | 옷 | Ot (final ㅅ = t) | |
| House | 집 | Jip (final ㅂ = p) |
5. Quick listening practice
Click and try to imitate exactly what you hear.
| Meaning | Hangul | Romanization | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello (polite) | 안녕하세요 | Annyeonghaseyo | |
| Thank you | 감사합니다 | Gamsahamnida | |
| Delicious | 맛있어요 | Masisseoyo |
You don’t need perfect theory to start speaking. Listen → repeat → compare → adjust. This loop is the fastest way to get a good Korean accent.