Korean Pronunciation Made Easy: A Comprehensive Guide162

Korean is a beautiful and expressive language, but its pronunciation can be challenging for non-native speakers. The good news is that with a little practice, you can 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 "door"
* ㅕ: yeo, as in "yes"
* ㅗ: oh, as in "boat"
* ㅛ: yoh, as in "yacht"
* ㅜ: oo, as in "book"
* ㅠ: yoo, as in "you"
* ㅡ: eu, as in "fur"
* ㅣ: ee, as in "feet"

Remember that Korean vowels are always pure and never diphthongized. This means that you should pronounce each vowel separately, without blending it with any other sounds.

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 "no"
* ㄷ: d, as in "door"
* ㄹ: r, as in "run"
* ㅁ: m, as in "mom"
* ㅂ: b, as in "book"
* ㅅ: s, as in "sun"
* ㅇ: ng, as in "sing" (when it appears at the end of a syllable)
* ㅈ: j, as in "jump"
* ㅊ: ch, as in "church"
* ㅋ: k, as in "cat"
* ㅌ: t, as in "top"
* ㅍ: p, as in "pop"
* ㅎ: h, as in "hot"

Note that the consonant ㄹ (r) is pronounced differently depending on its position in the syllable. When it appears at the beginning of a syllable, it is pronounced as a clear "r" sound. However, when it appears after a vowel, it is pronounced as a more nasalized "l" sound.

Syllables

Korean syllables are always structured in the following way: CV (consonant-vowel). This means that every syllable must begin with a consonant and end with a vowel.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. First, syllables that begin with the vowel ㅇ (ng) do not have a consonant. Second, syllables that end with the consonant ㄹ (r) are often pronounced with a nasalized "l" sound.

Putting it all together

Now that you know the basics of Korean pronunciation, you can start putting it all together to form words and sentences.

Here are a few tips for pronouncing Korean words:* Always pronounce Korean vowels pure and never diphthongized.
* Pronounce Korean consonants clearly and distinctly.
* Remember that the consonant ㄹ (r) is pronounced differently depending on its position in the syllable.
* Syllables should always be pronounced in the order CV (consonant-vowel).

With a little practice, you will be able to pronounce Korean words and sentences with confidence.