The Korean Alphabet Pronunciation Guide: A Comprehensive Resource282

The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, is a unique and efficient writing system that has been in use for over 500 years. It consists of 24 basic letters that can be combined to form syllables and words. Hangul is a highly phonetic alphabet, meaning that the pronunciation of a word is closely related to its spelling. This makes it relatively easy to learn for both native speakers and foreign learners.

In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to the pronunciation of the Korean alphabet. We will include both the Romanized pronunciation and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription. We will also provide examples of words that use each letter.

Vowels

There are 10 vowel letters in the Korean alphabet. They are:

Letter
Romanized
IPA
Example


ㅏ
a
[a]
아버지 (father)


ㅑ
ya
[ja]
야구 (baseball)


ㅓ
eo
[ɔ]
어머니 (mother)


ㅕ
yeo
[jɔ]
여자 (woman)


ㅗ
o
[o]
오빠 (older brother)


ㅛ
yo
[jo]
요즘 (these days)


ㅜ
u
[u]
우리 (we)


ㅠ
yu
[ju]
유리 (glass)


ㅡ
eu
[ɯ]
을 (object marker)


ㅣ
i
[i]
입 (mouth)

Consonants

There are 14 consonant letters in the Korean alphabet. They are:

Letter
Romanized
IPA
Example


ㄱ
g
[g]
가다 (to go)


ㅋ
k
[k]
카다 (to cut)


ㄴ
n
[n]
나다 (to swim)


ㄷ
d
[d]
다다 (to arrive)


ㅌ
t
[t]
타다 (to ride)


ㄹ
r
[r]
라다 (to pull)


ㅁ
m
[m]
마다 (to scold)


ㅂ
b
[b]
바다 (sea)


ㅍ
p
[p]
파다 (to sow)


ㅅ
s
[s]
사다 (to buy)


ㅎ
h
[h]
하다 (to do)


ㅈ
j
[dʒ]
자다 (to sleep)


ㅊ
ch
[tʃ]
차다 (to kick)


ㅋ
k
[k']
까다 (to be difficult)

Double Consonants

Double consonants are pronounced with a stronger emphasis than single consonants. They are represented by doubling the consonant letter in the Romanized spelling.

Letter
Romanized
IPA
Example


ㄲ
kk
[k͈]
까다 (to be difficult)


ㄸ
tt
[t͈]
따다 (to warm up)


ㅃ
pp
[p͈]
빠다 (to be quick)


ㅆ
ss
[s͈]
싸다 (to be cheap)


ㅉ
jj
[dʒ͈]
짜다 (to be sour)

Aspirated Consonants

Aspirated consonants are pronounced with a puff of air. They are represented by an 'h' after the consonant letter in the Romanized spelling.

Letter
Romanized
IPA
Example


ㅋ
kh
[kʰ]
카다 (to cut)


ㅌ
th
[tʰ]
타다 (to ride)


ㅍ
ph
[pʰ]
파다 (to sow)


ㅊ
ch
[tʃʰ]
차다 (to kick)

Conclusion

We hope this guide has helped you to understand the pronunciation of the Korean alphabet. With practice, you will be able to pronounce Korean words correctly and fluently. Remember to pay attention to the differences between single consonants, double consonants, and aspirated consonants. And don't be afraid to ask for help from a native speaker if you are struggling with a particular sound.

2024-10-30

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