Hangul: the Korean alphabet

Korean is written in 한글 (Hangeul), an alphabet created in the 15th century under King Sejong so that everyone, not only scholars, could read and write. It has 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels (plus 5 double consonants and 11 combined vowels built from them), and many learners can read simple words after a few days of practice.

The letters of one syllable are grouped into a square block. 한 (han) is made of three letters: ㅎ (h) + ㅏ (a) + ㄴ (n). The next block, 국 (guk), is ㄱ + ㅜ + ㄱ, and together they give 한국 (Hanguk), Korea. Words are separated by spaces, as in English.

You can follow this whole course in romanisation (Latin letters), so there's no rush. Learn a few letters at a time and click any syllable or word on this page to hear it. The romanisation follows how words sound, which is sometimes different from the letters: the page on sound changes explains why.

Each consonant has a name, such as 기역 (giyeok) for ㄱ, but when reading you just say its sound. The shapes began as pictures of the mouth: ㄱ shows the back of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth, ㄴ the tip of the tongue touching the gums, ㅁ the closed lips.

ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ ㅈ are softer than English k, t, p, ch. At the start of a word they sound halfway between g and k, d and t, and so on; between vowels they are a clear g, d, b, j. ㄹ is a light tap of the tongue (r) before a vowel and an l at the end of a syllable. ㅇ is silent at the start of a block and ng at the end. At the end of a syllable several letters change their sound: see the page on sound changes.

Several consonants come in three versions. The plain ones (ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ ㅈ ㅅ) are relaxed. The aspirated ones (ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅊ) come out with a strong puff of air, like the k, t and p at the start of English “kit”, “top” and “pin”. The tense ones are written as double letters (ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅉ ㅆ): tighten your throat and say them with no puff at all, like the k in “skin” or the p in “spin”, only harder.

The difference changes the meaning, so listen for it: 불 (bul, fire), 풀 (pul, grass) and 뿔 (ppul, horn) are three different words. The romanisation doubles the letter for a tense consonant: kk, tt, pp, jj, ss.

The vowels are built from three shapes: a short stroke (once a dot, for the sky), a flat line ㅡ (the earth) and an upright line ㅣ (a person). A second short stroke adds a y sound: ㅏ (a) becomes ㅑ (ya), ㅗ (o) becomes ㅛ (yo).

A vowel never stands alone in a block. When a syllable starts with a vowel, the silent ㅇ is written in front of it, so the vowel ㅏ on its own is written 아 (a).

The romanisation needs two letters for two vowels English doesn't have. ㅓ (eo) is an open sound with relaxed lips, like the “u” in “up” but a little longer. ㅡ (eu) is like “oo” said with the lips spread, as in a smile. Neither has an e sound in it.

Two vowels can join into one. ㅏ + ㅣ makes ㅐ (ae), ㅗ + ㅏ makes ㅘ (wa), and so on. A combined vowel that starts with ㅗ or ㅜ begins with a w sound: 와 (wa), 워 (wo), 위 (wi).

Some of them sound the same in everyday Seoul Korean. ㅐ (ae) and ㅔ (e) are both like the “e” in “bed”, and ㅙ (wae), ㅚ (oe) and ㅞ (we) are all said “we”. The romanisation still follows the spelling, so learn which letter a word uses.

ㅢ (ui) is said ui at the start of a word, as in 의사 (uisa, doctor), but usually just i after a consonant: 희망 (huimang, hope) sounds like “himang”. The particle 의 (of) is usually said e.

Every block starts with a consonant (the silent ㅇ if the syllable starts with a vowel), followed by a vowel. Upright vowels such as ㅏ ㅓ ㅣ go to the right of the consonant: 가 (ga). Flat vowels such as ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ go below it: 고 (go). Combined vowels do both: 과 (gwa).

A consonant at the end of the syllable goes at the bottom of the block. It is called the 받침 (batchim), “support”: 한 (han), 밥 (bap, rice, meal). A few words have two final letters, such as 닭 (dak, chicken) and 읽다 (ikda, to read); usually only one of them is pronounced.

Batchim matters for grammar too: many particles and endings have one form after a consonant and another after a vowel, such as 저는 (jeoneun, I) but 선생님은 (seonsaengnimeun, the teacher). And a final consonant is often said differently from its letter, as the page on sound changes shows.