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                                                                     How	to	pronounce	korean	alphabet	a	to	z
  Korean	is	spoken	by	about	63	million	people	in	South	Korea,	North	Korea,	China,	Japan,	Uzbekistan,	Kazakhstan	and	Russia.	The	relationship	between	Korean	and	other	languages	is	not	known	for	sure,	though	some	linguists	believe	it	to	be	a	member	of	the	Altaic	family	of	languages.	Grammatically	Korean	is	very	similar	to	Japanese	and	about	70%	of
  its	vocabulary	comes	from	Chinese.	Origins	of	writing	in	Korea	Chinese	writing	has	been	known	in	Korea	for	over	2,000	years.	It	was	used	widely	during	the	Chinese	occupation	of	northern	Korea	from	108	BC	to	313	AD.	By	the	5th	century	AD,	the	Koreans	were	starting	to	write	in	Classical	Chinese	-	the	earliest	known	example	of	this	dates	from	414
  AD.	They	later	devised	three	different	systems	for	writing	Korean	with	Chinese	characters:	Hyangchal	(/鄕札),	Gukyeol	(/口訣)	and	Idu	(/吏讀).	These	systems	were	similar	to	those	developed	in	Japan	and	were	probably	used	as	models	by	the	Japanese.	The	Idu	system	used	a	combination	of	Chinese	characters	together	with	special	symbols	to	indicate
  Korean	verb	endings	and	other	grammatical	markers,	and	was	used	to	in	official	and	private	documents	for	many	centuries.	The	Hyangchal	system	used	Chinese	characters	to	represent	all	the	sounds	of	Korean	and	was	used	mainly	to	write	poetry.	The	Koreans	borrowed	a	huge	number	of	Chinese	words,	gave	Korean	readings	and/or	meanings	to
  some	of	the	Chinese	characters	and	also	invented	about	150	new	characters,	most	of	which	are	rare	or	used	mainly	for	personal	or	place	names.	The	Korean	alphabet	was	invented	in	1444	and	promulgated	it	in	1446	during	the	reign	of	King	Sejong	(r.1418-1450),	the	fourth	king	of	the	Joseon	Dynasty.	The	alphabet	was	originally	called	Hunmin
  jeongeum,	or	"The	correct	sounds	for	the	instruction	of	the	people",	but	has	also	been	known	as	Eonmeun	(vulgar	script)	and	Gukmeun	(national	writing).	The	modern	name	for	the	alphabet,	Hangeul,	was	coined	by	a	Korean	linguist	called	Ju	Si-gyeong	(1876-1914).	In	North	Korea	the	alphabet	is	known	as		(josoen	guel).	The	shapes	of	the	consonants
  are	based	on	the	shape	the	mouth	made	when	the	corresponding	sound	is	made,	and	the	traditional	direction	of	writing	(vertically	from	right	to	left)	most	likely	came	from	Chinese,	as	did	the	practice	of	writing	syllables	in	blocks.	Even	after	the	invention	of	the	Korean	alphabet,	most	Koreans	who	could	write	continued	to	write	either	in	Classical
  Chinese	or	in	Korean	using	the	Gukyeol	or	Idu	systems.	The	Korean	alphabet	was	associated	with	people	of	low	status,	i.e.	women,	children	and	the	uneducated.	During	the	19th	and	20th	centuries	a	mixed	writing	system	combining	Chinese	characters	(Hanja)	and	Hangeul	became	increasingly	popular.	Since	1945	however,	the	importance	of	Chinese
  characters	in	Korean	writing	has	diminished	significantly.	Since	1949	hanja	have	not	been	used	at	all	in	any	North	Korean	publications,	with	the	exception	of	a	few	textbooks	and	specialized	books.	In	the	late	1960s	the	teaching	of	hanja	was	reintroduced	in	North	Korean	schools	however	and	school	children	are	expected	to	learn	2,000	characters	by
  the	end	of	high	school.	In	South	Korea	school	children	are	expected	to	learn	1,800	hanja	by	the	end	of	high	school.	The	proportion	of	hanja	used	in	Korean	texts	varies	greatly	from	writer	to	writer	and	there	is	considerable	public	debate	about	the	role	of	hanja	in	Korean	writing.	Most	modern	Korean	literature	and	informal	writing	is	written	entirely	in
  hangeul,	however	academic	papers	and	official	documents	tend	to	be	written	in	a	mixture	of	hangeul	and	hanja.	Notable	features	of	Hangeul	Type	of	writing	system:	alphabet	Writing	direction:	Until	the	1980s	Korean	was	usually	written	from	right	to	left	in	vertical	columns.	Since	then	writing	from	left	to	right	in	horizontal	lines	has	become	popular,
  and	today	the	majority	of	texts	are	written	horizontally.	Number	of	letter:	24	(jamo):	14	consonants	and	10	vowels.	The	letters	are	combined	together	into	syllable	blocks.	For	example,	Hangeul	is	written:		(han)	=	ᄒ	(h)	+		(a)	+	ᄂ	(n)	and		(geul)	=	ᄀ	(g)	+		(eu)	+	ᄅ	(l)	The	shapes	of	the	the	consontants	g/k,	n,	s,	m	and	ng	are	graphical
  representations	of	the	speech	organs	used	to	pronounce	them.	Other	consonsants	were	created	by	adding	extra	lines	to	the	basic	shapes.	The	shapes	of	the	the	vowels	are	based	on	three	elements:	man	(a	vertical	line),	earth	(a	horizontal	line)	and	heaven	(a	dot).	In	modern	Hangeul	the	heavenly	dot	has	mutated	into	a	short	line.	Spaces	are	placed
  between	words,	which	can	be	made	up	of	one	or	more	syllables.	The	sounds	of	some	consonants	change	depending	on	whether	they	appear	at	the	beginning,	in	the	middle,	or	at	the	end	of	a	syllable.	A	number	of	Korean	scholars	have	proposed	an	alternative	method	of	writing	Hangeul	involving	writing	each	letter	in	a	line	like	in	English,	rather	than
  grouping	them	into	syllable	blocks,	but	their	efforts	have	been	met	with	little	interest	or	enthusiasm.	In	South	Korea	hanja	are	used	to	some	extent	in	some	Korean	texts.	Used	to	write:	Korean,	and	Cia-Cia	(Bahasa	Ciacia	/		),	a	Malayo-Polynesian	language	spoken	on	Buton	Island	in	Indonesia.	The	Hangeul	alphabet	()	Consonants	(/子音)	A	recording	of
  the	Korean	consonants	by	Jessica	Kwon	The	double	consonants	marked	with	*	are	pronounced	fortis.	There	is	no	symbol	in	IPA	to	indiciate	this.	Vowels	(/母音)	A	recording	of	the	Korean	vowels	by	Jessica	Kwon	Note	on	the	transliteration	of	Korean	There	are	a	number	different	ways	to	write	Korean	in	the	Latin	alphabet.	The	methods	shown	above	are:
  (first	row)	the	official	South	Korean	transliteration	system,	which	was	introduced	in	July	2000.	You	can	find	further	details	at	www.mct.go.kr.	(second	row)	the	McCune-Reischauer	system,	which	was	devised	in	1937	by	two	American	graduate	students,	George	McCune	and	Edwin	Reischauer,	and	is	widely	used	in	Western	publications.	For	more
  details	of	this	system	see:	See	the	Korean	alphabet	pronounced:	Download	a	Korean	alphabet	chart	in	Excel,	Word	or	PDF	format.	Sample	text	in	Korean	(hangeul	only)	Sample	text	in	Korean	(hangeul	and	hanja)	Transliteration	Modeun	Ingan-eun	Tae-eonal	ttaebuteo	Jayuroumyeo	Geu	Jon-eomgwa	Gwonrie	Iss-eo	Dongdeunghada.	Ingan-eun
  Cheonbujeog-euro	Iseong-gwa	Yangsim-eul	Bu-yeobad-ass-eumyeo	Seoro	Hyungje-ae-ui	Jeongsin-euro	Haengdongha-yeo-yahanda.	A	recording	of	this	text	by	Jessica	Kwon	Translation	All	human	beings	are	born	free	and	equal	in	dignity	and	rights.	They	are	endowed	with	reason	and	conscience	and	should	act	towards	one	another	in	a	spirit	of
  brotherhood.	(Article	1	of	the	Universal	Declaration	of	Human	Rights)	Sample	videos	in	Korean	Information	about	Korean	|	Phrases	|	Numbers	|	Colours	|	Time	|	Family	words	|	Tongue	twisters	|	Tower	of	Babel	|	Articles	|	Learning	materials	|	Links	Links	Information	about	the	Korean	language	Online	Korean	lessons	More	Korean	links	Learn	Korean
  now	at	Rocket	Languages!	Learn	Korean	with	Glossika	Korean	courses	and	other	resources	available	on	Amazon	Languages	written	with	the	Hangeul	alphabet	Cia-Cia,	Jeju,	Korean	Alphabets	A-chik	Tokbirim,	Adinkra,	Adlam,	Armenian,	Avestan,	Avoiuli,	Bassa	(Vah),	Beitha	Kukju,	Borama	/	Gadabuursi,	Carian,	Carpathian	Basin	Rovas,	Chinuk	pipa,
  Chisoi,	Coorgi-Cox,	Coptic,	Cyrillic,	Dalecarlian	runes,	Deseret,	Elbasan,	Etruscan,	Faliscan,	Galik,	Georgian	(Asomtavruli),	Georgian	(Nuskhuri),	Georgian	(Mkhedruli),	Glagolitic,	Gothic,	Greek,	Irish	(Uncial),	Kaddare,	Khatt-i-Badí’,	Khazarian	Rovas,	Korean,	Latin,	Lepontic,	Luo	Lakeside	Script,	Lycian,	Lydian,	Manchu,	Mandaic,	Mandombe,
  Marsiliana,	Messapic,	Mongolian,	Mro,	Mundari	Bani,	N'Ko,	North	Picene,	Nyiakeng	Puachue	Hmong,	Odùduwà,	Ogham,	Old	Church	Slavonic,	Oirat	Clear	Script,	Ol	Chiki	(Ol	Cemet'	/	Santali),	Old	Italic,	Old	Nubian,	Old	Permic,	Ol	Onal,	Orkhon,	Oscan,	Pau	Cin	Hau,	Phrygian,	Pollard	script,	Runic,	Székely-Hungarian	Rovás	(Hungarian	Runes),	Somali
  (Osmanya),	South	Picene,	Sutton	SignWriting,	Tai	Lue,	Tangsa,	Todhri,	Toto,	Umbrian,	Uyghur,	Wancho,	Zaghawa,	Zoulai	Other	writing	systems	Page	last	modified:	07.08.21	Why	not	share	this	page:	report	this	ad	If	you	need	to	type	in	many	different	languages,	the	Q	International	Keyboard	can	help.	It	enables	you	to	type	almost	any	language	that
  uses	the	Latin,	Cyrillic	or	Greek	alphabets,	and	is	free.	If	you	like	this	site	and	find	it	useful,	you	can	support	it	by	making	a	donation	via	PayPal	or	Patreon,	or	by	contributing	in	other	ways.	Omniglot	is	how	I	make	my	living.	report	this	ad	Note:	all	links	on	this	site	to	Amazon.com,	Amazon.co.uk	and	Amazon.fr	are	affiliate	links.	This	means	I	earn	a
  commission	if	you	click	on	any	of	them	and	buy	something.	So	by	clicking	on	these	links	you	can	help	to	support	this	site.	Korean	alphabet	letters	(Hangeul:	)	started	from	unique	Korean	characters	created	and	published	by	the	4th	King	Sejong	in	the	early	Joseon	Dynasty	(A.D.	1443)	under	the	name	of	Hunminjeongeum	().	When	Hangeul	was	invented
  by	the	King	Sejong,	it	was	called	“Hunminjeongeum	(),”	meaning	“the	right	sound	that	teaches	the	common	people.”Hangeul	(Korean	alphabets)	was	created	for	making	the	letters	correspond	to	the	sounds.	Korean	characters	were	designed	for	writing	down	the	sound	of	Korean	language	properly,	which	is	why	the	words	“right	sound”	were	indicated
  for	the	name	of	its	ancient	name	().	“Han	()”	in	“Hangeul”	means	“one”	or	“big”,	which	represents	prestigious	letters	for	writing	down	the	excellent	Korean	language.	This	also	matches	the	intention	of	King	Sejong	who	named	“Jeongeum”-	the	right	soundHunminjeongeum	was	not	difficult	to	learn	as	it	was	created	for	the	common	people	from	the
  beginning.	Commoners	and	women	who	had	no	available	letters	were	those	who	started	to	use	the	letters	the	most	and	hand	them	down.	They	belonged	to	the	common	people	who	were	not	able	to	write	Chinese	characters.	Hangeul	was	originally	modeled	after	the	pronunciation	organs	such	as	mouth,	nose	and	neck.	The	method	of	deriving	the
  coherent	series	of	characters	such	as	(ᄀ-ᄏ-ᄁ)	by	adding	strokes	to	the	basis	letter	is	a	very	systematic	and	scientific	method.The	Structure	Of	Korean	Alphabets	–	How	many	letters?Korean	alphabets	consist	of	basic	fourteen	consonants	and	ten	vowels	which	can	write	down	the	sound	of	pronunciations.	The	consonants	of	Korean	characters	are
  modeled	after	phonetic	organs,	therefore	it	is	possible	to	guess	the	sound	from	the	shape	of	the	Korean	letters.“ᄀ”,	“ᄂ”	is	modeled	after	the	shape	of	tongue	when	these	pronunciations	are	made,	“ᄆ”	is	modeled	after	the	shape	of	mouth	when	the	sound	comes	out,	“ᄉ”	represents	the	pointy	shape	of	tooth,	and	“ᄋ”	is	the	letter	resembling	the	round
  shape	of	throat.The	Korean	letter	vowels	represent	the	sky,	the	earth	and	human	being	–	the	shape	of	sky	is	‘	·	‘:	round	shape,	the	shape	of	the	earth	is	”	ㅡ	“:	flat	shape,	and	the	shape	of	human	being	is	”	l	“	:	erect	shape	of	human.Both	Korean	alphabet	consonants	and	vowels	are	comprised	of	“basic”	and	“compound”	letters.	The	compound	letters	are
  the	mixture	or	derivative	of	basic	consonants	or	vowels.	Therefore,	the	shape	and	sound	of	these	are	very	close	to	those	of	the	basic	ones.The	Consonants	/	How	To	Pronounce	Korean	Alphabet	ConsonantsBasic	Korean	alphabet	consonants	are	fourteen	letters,	however	there	are	additional	letters,	variants	of	these	basic	letters.The	Roman	alphabets
  next	to	Korean	letters	are	just	for	reference,	most	of	them	almost	match	the	sound	of	the	Korean	letter	pronunciation,	though	not	the	all	match	the	exact	pronunciations.	Matching	English	alphabets	are	not	for	linguistic	purpose	but	the	real	matching	sounds.In	the	pronunciation	of	Korean	letters,	there	is	none	existing	English	pronunciation	sounds
  such	as	“f”,	“r”,	“z”	etc.Basic	consonantsᄀ		[g]ᄂ		[n]ᄃ		[d],ᄅ		[l]ᄆ		[m]ᄇ		[b]ᄉ		[s]ᄋ		[o,	ng]ᄌ		[j],	ᄍ		[jj	or	zz:	stronger	sound	of	“ᄌ”]ᄏ		[k]ᄐ		[t]ᄑ		[p,	ph]ᄎ		[ch]ᄒ		[h]Double	consonantsᄁ		[	gg	–	stronger	sound	of	“ᄀ”]ᄄ		[dd	–	stronger	sound	of	“ᄃ”]ᄈ		[bb	–	stronger	sound	of	“b”]ᄊ		[ss	–	stronger	sound	of	“ᄊ’]ᄍ		[	stronger	sound	of	“ᄌ”]Combined
  consonantsPronouncing	the	Korean	combined	consonants	have	difficulty	matching	the	Roman	alphabets.	Just	take	a	glance	at	those.ᆪ	ᆬ	ᆭ	ᆰ	ᆱ	ᆲ	ᆳ	ᆴ	ᆵ	ᆶ	ㅄ	The	Vowels	/	How	To	Pronounce	Korean	Alphabet	VowelsBasic	Korean	Vowelsㅏ		ahㅑ		yahㅓ		uhㅕ		yuhㅗ		ohㅛ		yohㅜ		wooㅠ		youㅡ		[no	matching	sound	with	English	pronunciation,	the	most
  close	one	is	“eu”]ㅣ		eCombined	Korean	Vowelsㅐ		ehㅒ		yaeㅔ		eh	:	Even	Koreans	have	difficulty	discerning	both	“ㅐ”	and	“ㅔ”	sounds	when	spoken.ㅖ		yae:	Even	Koreans	have	difficulty	discerning	both	“ㅒ”	and	“ㅖ”	sounds	when	spoken.ㅘ		wahㅙ		whae:	Even	Koreans	have	difficulty	discerning	both	“ㅙ”	and	“ㅚ”	sounds	when	spoken.ㅚ		whae:	Even
  Koreans	have	difficulty	discerning	both	“ㅙ”	and	“ㅚ”	sounds	when	spoken.ㅝ		wəㅞ		waeㅟ		weㅢ		[no	matching	sound	with	English	pronunciation,	the	most	close	one	is“eui”]How	The	Korean	Consonants	and	Vowel	Make	PronunciationOne	Korean	word	forming	one	pronunciation	consists	of	at	least	one	consonant	and	one	vowel.	One	extra	consonant
  also	can	be	added	to	this	combination.	The	combination	of	this	consonant	or	consonants	and	vowel	does	not	necessarily	form	one	word,	which	is	different	from	English	or	other	languages.	One	group	of	this	consonant	and	vowel	can	form	a	word	like	“”	meaning	“speech”	or	“horse”;	This	word	has	two	meanings	in	Korean.	However,	there	are	words
  composed	of	more	than	two	combination	of	these	such	as	“:	cookie”,	“:	text	book”.	So,	one	group	of	sound	does	not	necessarily	form	one	word	in	Korean	language.The	principle	of	forming	pronunciation	is	very	similar	to	that	of	English.	For	example,	look	at	the	following	instances	of	how	the	pronunciation	is	made.ᄀ	(g)	+	ㅏ	(ah)	=	가	(gah)ᄂ	(n)	+	ㅓ
  (uh)	=		(nuh)ᄀ	(g)	+	ㅗ	(o)	+	ᄆ	(m)	=		(gom)ᄒ	(h)	+	ㅗ	(o)	+	o	(ng)	=		(hong)ᄆ	(m)	+	ㅣ	(i)	=		(mi)As	seen,	the	structure	forming	pronunciation	is	very	close	to	that	of	English.	The	difference	lies	in	the	discrepancy	of	some	sound,	which	English	alphabets	can	not	represent	one	hundred	percent	exactly.Pronouncing	Korean	Alphabets	Is	Easy	or
  Difficult?As	there	is	a	pattern	that	the	combination	of	each	letter	forms	a	sound	unit,	it	might	be	easy	to	know	how	to	pronounce	that.	Of	course,	the	beginner	who	does	not	know	anything	of	Korean	characters	might	feel	that	there	is	much	to	learn	and	memorize.	So	I	suggest	that	the	beginner	understand	how	it	works	in	the	beginning.	It	would	be
  better	to	approach	any	interesting	word	such	as	your	favorite	K	Pop	singer	name	to	understand	how	the	consonants	and	vowels	form	pronunciation.	If	so,	there	will	be	less	burden	for	accessing	and	absorbing	all	the	Korean	alphabet	pronunciations.	Only	time	matters	if	so.K	POP	LYRICS