Hangul: The Basic Korean Alphabet26

Hangul is the Korean writing system, created by King Sejong the Great in 1443. It is an alphabet, meaning that each letter represents a single sound. Hangul is one of the most efficient writing systems in the world, and it is relatively easy to learn. This article will provide a basic overview of the Hangul alphabet, including the pronunciation of each letter.

Vowels

There are 10 basic vowels in Hangul. They are:
ㅏ (a) - Pronounced like the "a" in "father"
ㅑ (ya) - Pronounced like the "ya" in "yacht"
ㅓ (eo) - Pronounced like the "o" in "sofa"
ㅕ (yeo) - Pronounced like the "yo" in "yoyo"
ㅗ (o) - Pronounced like the "o" in "open"
ㅛ (yo) - Pronounced like the "yo" in "yoghurt"
ㅜ (u) - Pronounced like the "oo" in "boot"
ㅠ (yu) - Pronounced like the "yu" in "yule"
ㅡ (eu) - Pronounced like the "eu" in "neutral"
ㅣ (i) - Pronounced like the "ee" in "feet"

Consonants

There are 14 basic consonants in Hangul. They are:
ㄱ (g) - Pronounced like the "g" in "go"
ㄴ (n) - Pronounced like the "n" in "nose"
ㄷ (d) - Pronounced like the "d" in "dog"
ㄹ (r) - Pronounced like the "r" in "run"
ㅁ (m) - Pronounced like the "m" in "mom"
ㅂ (b) - Pronounced like the "b" in "boy"
ㅅ (s) - Pronounced like the "s" in "sun"
ㅇ (ng) - Pronounced like the "ng" in "song"
ㅈ (j) - Pronounced like the "j" in "jump"
ㅊ (ch) - Pronounced like the "ch" in "cheese"
ㅋ (k) - Pronounced like the "k" in "kite"
ㅌ (t) - Pronounced like the "t" in "top"
ㅍ (p) - Pronounced like the "p" in "pop"
ㅎ (h) - Pronounced like the "h" in "hat"

Compound Characters

In addition to the basic vowels and consonants, there are also a number of compound characters in Hangul. These characters are made up of two or more basic characters, and they represent a single sound. Here are some of the most common compound characters:
ㄲ (kk) - Pronounced like the "kk" in "kick"
ㄸ (tt) - Pronounced like the "tt" in "butter"
ㅃ (pp) - Pronounced like the "pp" in "pepper"
ㅆ (ss) - Pronounced like the "ss" in "sister"
ㅉ (jj) - Pronounced like the "jj" in "jazz"

Pronouncing Hangul

The pronunciation of Hangul is relatively straightforward. Each letter represents a single sound, and the sounds are combined together to form words. There are a few important rules to remember when pronouncing Hangul:
The vowels are pronounced as they are written.
The consonants are pronounced as they are written, except for the following:

ㄱ (g) is pronounced like "k" before the vowels ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅗ, and ㅛ.
ㄷ (d) is pronounced like "t" before the vowels ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅗ, and ㅛ.
ㅂ (b) is pronounced like "p" before the vowels ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅗ, and ㅛ.

The compound characters are pronounced as a single sound.

Conclusion

Hangul is a relatively easy writing system to learn. With a little practice, you will be able to read and write Hangul with ease. This will open up a whole new world of Korean language and culture.

2024-10-30

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