UNIT 1: The Korean Alphabet, hangeul (한글)

When first introduced by King Sejong in 1446, hangeul had 28 letters of which only 24 are
in use today. The 10 basic vowels and 14 single consonants of hangeul expand to 21 vowels and 19
consonants for a total of 40 letters in combination. The following are the sound values and names
of each letter.

1. Korean Sound and Hangeul Letters

a. Consonants: 19 Letters
Single Consonant: 14 letters
Hangeul Letter Sound Value Name of letter Example
ㄱ [g/k] 기역 [gi-yeok] goat

ㄴ [n] 니은 [ni-eun] nose

ㄷ [d/t] 디귿 [di-geut] dog

ㄹ [r/l] 리을리을[ri-eul] red

ㅁ [m] 미음 [mi-eum] moon

ㅂ [b/p] 비믑 [bi-eup] big

ㅅ [s/sh] 시읏 [si-ot] soft

ㅇ [*/-ng] 이응 [i-eung] *

ㅈ [j] 지읏 [ji-eut] George

ㅊ [ch] 치읏 [chi-eut] cheese

ㅋ [k] 키읔 [ki-eut] kite

ㅌ [t] 티읕 [ti-eut] table

ㅍ [p] 피읖 [pi-eup] paper

ㅎ [h] 히읗 [hi-eut] hat

*Silent, when a word start with this letter “o “; -ng, at the end of the word.
Double Consonant: 5 letters
Hangeul letter Sound value Name of letter
ㄲ [kk] 쌍기역 [ssang-gi-yeok]
ㄸ [tt] 쌍디귿 [ssang-di-geut]
ㅃ [pp] 쌍비읍 [ssang-bi-eup]
ㅆ [ss] 쌍시읏 [ssang-si-ot]
ㅉ [jj] 쌍지읒 [ssang-ji-eut]

b. Vowels: 21 letters
 Single Vowel: 10 letters
Hangeul Letter Sound Value Name of letter Example
ㅏ [a] 아 [a] father

ㅑ [ya] 야 [ya] yacht

ㅓ [eo] 어 [eo] about

ㅕ [yeo] 여 [yeo] young

ㅗ [o] 오 [o] home

ㅛ [yo] 요 [yo] yo-yo

ㅜ [u] 우 [u] mood

ㅠ [yu] 유 [yu] you

ㅡ [eu] 으 [eu] put

ㅣ [i] 이[ i] bee
*Vowels by themselves must always be preceded by “o” (silent), because Korean
words always begin with a consonant.

Example: 아기 [a-gi] baby 우유 [u-yu] milk

어머니 [eo-meo-ni] mother 오리 [o-ri] duck

Double Vowel: 11 letters

Hangeul Letter Sound Value Name of letter Example
ㅐ [ae ] 애 [ae] cat

ㅒ [yae] 얘[yae] yam

ㅔ [e] [e] bet, pen

ㅖ [ye] [ye] yes

[wa] [wa] wine
[wae] [wae] quack
[we] [we] when
[weo] [weo] wonder
[we] [we when
[wi] [wi] we
[eui] [eui] -

2. How to Read Korean Words

In Korean, each letter has a unique sound associated only with that letter. The following
are examples of how to read the consonants (c) and vowels (v) that form each word.

I. ㄱ + ㅏ ㄱ [g]
가 [ga] + 고 [go]
[g] [a] ㅗ [o]
II. ㄱ + ㅏ ㄱ [g]
[g] [a] +
+ 각 [gak] ㅗ [o] 곳 [got]
ㄱ +
[k] * ㅅ [t] *

*At the end of a word, ㄱ is pronounced as [k], ㅅ is pronounced as [t], when the word is
not followed by another word.

III. ㄱ + ㅏ ㄱ [g]
[g] [a] +
+ 값 [gap] ㅗ [o] 곬[gol]
ㅂ ㅅ +
[p] [Ø] * ㄹ ㅅ
[l] [Ø] *

*When the double consonants ㅂㅅㄹㅅ are used as final consonants and are followed by
ㄱ,ㄷ,ㅂ,ㅅ or ㅈ, they are pronounced as single finals [p], and the ㅅ is not pronounced.

Third Position consonants: 8 pronunciation groups

In Korean, the 2nd and 3rd consonants in a word are referred to as 받침 must
always be 1 or 2 consonants and all fall into eight pronunciation groups.

1. ㄱ, ㅋ and ㄲ are pronounced as [k], when the word is not followed by another
vowel.
Example: [sok] inside [han-guk] Korea
[bu-eok] kitchen [bak ]outside

2. ㄴ is pronounced as [n]. This letter sound does not change, whatever the position.
Example: [nun] eye,snow [pyeon-ji] letter
[an-gae] fog [su-geon] towel

3. ㅅ,ㅈ,ㅊ,ㅌ and ㅆ are pronounced as [t], when the word is not followed by another
vowel.
Example: [got] soon [sut-ga-rak] spoon
[bit] comb [ot] clothing
[nat] daytime [it-dda] to forget
[bit] light [ggot] flower
[mit] bottom [ggeut] end
[it-dda] to have
 4. ㄹ is pronounced as [t], when the word ends with “ㄹ”
Example: [da] moon [ga-eul] autumn
[eol-gul] face [ddal-gi] strawberry

And if a word ends with “ㄹ” and is followed by another “ㄹ”, you pronounce both [l].
Example: [dal-la-yo] (it) is different
[mol-la-yo] (I) do not know

5. ㅁ is pronounced as [m]. This letter sound does not change, whatever the position.
Example: [bom] spring [jeom-sim] lunch
[bam] night, chestnut [ma-eum] heart

6. ㅂ and ㅍ are pronounced as a short [p], at the end of a final syllable.

Example: [ap] front [yeop] side
[su-eop]class [ji-geop] occupation

7. ㅇ is pronounced as as [-ng] , when a word ends with “o”.

Example: [gang] river [bang] room
[gong] ball [yeong-guk] England

8. ㅎ becomes silent [Ø ], when it is at the end of a syllable and is followed by a vowel.

Example:
[ㅋ,ㅌ,ㅊ]respectively.
Example: ㅎ= Ø (silent) [jo-a] that’s fine
[jo-eu-myeon ]If (you) like
But whenㅎ is at the end of a syllable that is followed by the consonantsㄱ,ㄷ or ㅈ,
the pronunciation of the consonants changes to the aspirated consonants

[no-ko] put and

[jo-ko] (it’s) fine and

[no-ta] to put
[jo-ta] to be good

[jo-chi]
[no-chi]

3. How to Construct Korean Words.

There are six ways to construct Korean words using Hangeul. These 6 ways can
be sub-divided into two parts, each consisting of 3 types of word constructions, as
described below in part A and B.

Construction of a Korean word must always begin with a single or

double consonant.

Part A (1-3)
 When the first vowel in a word is “ㅏ,ㅑ,ㅓ,ㅕorㅣ” the word is constructed by having
the letters arranged horizontally. (c-consonant: v-vowel).

1. Horizontal combination of a consonant with one of these 5 vowels.

Example: C + V ㄱ +ㅏ =가
2. Horizontal combination of 2 consonants and a vowel.
Example: C + V ㄱ +ㅏ =각
C = (받침) ㄱ
3. Horizontal combination of 3 consonants and a vowel.
Example: C + V ㄱ +ㅏ =값
C C = (받침) ㅂ ㅅ

Part B (4-6)
When the final vowel in the word is “ ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㄱ or ㅡ” the word is constructed
by having the letters arranged vertically.

4. Vertical combination of a consonant with one of these 5 vowels

Example: C ㄱ
+ + =고
V ㅗ
5. Vertical combination of 2 consonants and a vowel.
Example: C ㄱ
+ +
V ㅗ =곳
+ +
C =받침 ㅅ
6. Vertical combination of 3 consonants and a vowel. (C+V+ 2 consonants).
Example: C ㄱ
+ +
V ㅗ =곬
+ +
C C =받침 ㄹ ㅅ

4. How to Write Korean Words

a. Consonants: 19 letters
 The fourteen consonants are shown below in Korean alphabetical order with
the direction and sequence of the strokes. The romanized letters are their
sound value.
Table

b. Vowels: 21 letters
There are a total of twenty-one different vowel-syllables. In the table below, the
vowels are listed in Korean alphabetical order.
Tbale

EXERCISES
1. Write the fourteen consonants in the
2. Fill in the boxes alphabetically
3. Write the ten vowels in the
4. Please fill in the gaps in alphabetical order
5. Write the words in alphabetical order.

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