Proper pronunciation is essential for being understood in Korean. While Hangul makes reading straightforward, actual pronunciation involves rules and nuances. This guide helps you sound natural and clear.
Korean Sound System
Korean pronunciation is highly regular—once you learn the rules, they apply consistently.
Key Differences from English
Three Types of Consonants: Korean distinguishes between plain (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅈ), aspirated (ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ), and tense (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅉ) consonants.
No Stress Accent: Korean doesn't emphasize syllables with stress like English. Rhythm is more even.
Final Consonant Restrictions: Only 7 consonant sounds can be pronounced at syllable ends.
Consonant Pronunciation
Plain Consonants (평음)
ㄱ (g/k)
- Start of word: 'k' in "sky" (unaspirated)
- Between vowels: 'g' in "go"
- At end: unreleased 'k'
ㄷ (d/t)
- Start: 't' in "stop" (unaspirated)
- Between vowels: 'd' in "do"
- At end: unreleased 't'
ㅂ (b/p)
- Start: 'p' in "spy" (unaspirated)
- Between vowels: 'b' in "boy"
- At end: lips close but don't release
ㅈ (j)
- Similar to 'j' in "judge" but lighter
- Like 'ts' in "cats" at word start
ㅅ (s)
- Like 's' in "see"
- Before ㅣ or y-vowels: sounds like 'sh'
ㅇ (ng/silent)
- Silent as initial consonant (placeholder)
- 'ng' in "sing" as final consonant
ㄴ (n) - Like 'n' in "no"
ㅁ (m) - Like 'm' in "moon"
ㄹ (r/l)
- Between vowels: flapped 'r' (tongue taps roof once)
- At end: more like 'l'
- Double ㄹㄹ: rolled 'l'
ㅎ (h) - Like 'h' in "hat"
Aspirated Consonants (거센소리)
Pronounced with a strong burst of air:
ㅋ (k) - 'k' in "kite" (with air) ㅌ (t) - 't' in "top" (with air) ㅍ (p) - 'p' in "pop" (with air) ㅊ (ch) - 'ch' in "church" (with air)
Test: Hold your hand in front of your mouth—you should feel a puff of air.
Examples: 카페 (kape), 토끼 (tokki), 포도 (podo), 춤 (chum)
Tense Consonants (된소리)
Pronounced with throat tension, no aspiration:
ㄲ (kk) - Tense 'k', no air ㄸ (tt) - Tense 't', no air ㅃ (pp) - Tense 'p', no air ㅆ (ss) - Tense 's', sharper ㅉ (jj) - Tense 'j', no air
Your throat tenses up with a slight glottal stop before the sound.
Examples: 꽃 (kkot), 떡 (tteok), 빵 (ppang), 씨 (ssi), 찌개 (jjigae)
Vowel Pronunciation
Simple Vowels
ㅏ (a) - 'a' in "father" ㅓ (eo) - 'u' in "umbrella" (neutral sound) ㅗ (o) - 'o' in "go" (lips rounded) ㅜ (u) - 'oo' in "moon" (lips tightly rounded) ㅡ (eu) - Unique to Korean: 'u' in "put" but lips spread ㅣ (i) - 'ee' in "see"
Compound Vowels
ㅐ/ㅔ (ae/e) - Both now pronounced like 'e' in "bed"
ㅑ (ya) - 'ya' in "yacht" ㅕ (yeo) - 'yu' in "yuck" ㅛ (yo) - 'yo' in "yo-yo" ㅠ (yu) - 'you'
ㅘ (wa) - 'wa' in "watch" ㅙ (wae) - 'we' in "wedding" ㅚ (oe) - Often 'we' or 'oi' ㅝ (wo) - 'wo' in "won" ㅞ (we) - 'we' in "wet" ㅟ (wi) - 'wee' ㅢ (ui) - Usually simplified to 'i'
Critical Pronunciation Rules
Rule 1: Final Consonant Simplification
Only 7 sounds at syllable ends: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅇ
→ ㄱ: ㅋ, ㄲ
- 부엌 (bueok) → [부억]
- 밖 (bakk) → [박]
→ ㄷ: ㅌ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅎ
- 꽃 (kkot) → [꼳]
- 밭 (bat) → [받]
→ ㅂ: ㅍ
- 앞 (ap) → [압]
Rule 2: Liaison (연음)
When a syllable ending with a consonant is followed by ㅇ, the consonant moves to the next syllable:
- 한국어 → [한구거] (han-gu-geo)
- 있어요 → [이써요] (i-sseo-yo)
- 밥을 → [바블] (ba-beul)
- 좋아요 → [조아요] (jo-a-yo)
Rule 3: Nasalization (비음화)
ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ become nasal sounds before ㄴ, ㅁ:
ㄱ + ㄴ/ㅁ → ㅇ
- 국물 → [궁물] (gung-mul)
ㄷ + ㄴ/ㅁ → ㄴ
- 있는 → [인는] (in-neun)
ㅂ + ㄴ/ㅁ → ㅁ
- 밥먹다 → [밤먹다] (bam-meok-da)
Rule 4: Aspiration (격음화)
ㅎ + ㄱ/ㄷ/ㅂ/ㅈ → ㅋ/ㅌ/ㅍ/ㅊ
- 좋다 → [조타] (jo-ta)
- 놓다 → [노타] (no-ta)
- 입학 → [이팍] (i-pak)
Rule 5: Palatalization (구개음화)
ㄷ and ㅌ become ㅈ and ㅊ before ㅣ or y-vowels:
- 같이 → [가치] (ga-chi)
- 굳이 → [구지] (gu-ji)
- 밭이 → [바치] (ba-chi)
Rule 6: Consonant Assimilation
ㄹ assimilation: ㄴ + ㄹ or ㄹ + ㄴ → both become ㄹ
- 신라 → [실라] (sil-la)
- 천리 → [철리] (cheol-li)
Intonation and Rhythm
Statement Intonation
Relatively flat with slight fall at end:
- 저는 학생이에요. ↘
Question Intonation
Yes/No questions: Rising at end
- 학생이에요? ↗
Wh-questions: Falling
- 뭐예요? ↘
Rhythm Pattern
Korean has syllable-timed rhythm (like Spanish). Each syllable gets roughly equal time:
- English: "I am a STU-dent" (stress on STU)
- Korean: "저-는-학-생-이-에-요" (even rhythm)
Minimal Pairs Practice
Plain vs Aspirated:
- 다 (da) vs 타 (ta)
- 바다 (bada - sea) vs 파다 (pada - dig)
- 고구마 (goguma - sweet potato) vs 코코아 (kokoa - cocoa)
Plain vs Tense:
- 달 (dal - moon) vs 딸 (ttal - daughter)
- 불 (bul - fire) vs 뿔 (ppul - horn)
- 살 (sal - flesh) vs 쌀 (ssal - rice)
ㅓ vs ㅗ:
- 먹다 (meokda - eat) vs 목 (mok - throat)
- 선생님 (seonsaengnim - teacher) vs 손 (son - hand)
Tongue Twisters
간장 공장 공장장은 강 공장장이고, 된장 공장 공장장은 공 공장장이다. "The soy sauce factory manager is Manager Kang, and the bean paste factory manager is Manager Kong."
Improving Pronunciation
Daily Practice
Shadow Native Speakers: Repeat immediately after audio, mimicking exactly
Read Aloud: 10-15 minutes daily with Korean texts
Record Yourself: Compare to native speakers
Minimal Pair Drills: Practice words differing by one sound
Use Apps: Forvo, Papago, pronunciation apps with speech recognition
Resources
- YouTube: Korean Unnie, Talk To Me In Korean, GO! Billy Korean
- K-dramas with Korean subtitles
- Korean podcasts at learner speed
- Language exchange partners
Standard Korean (표준어)
Standard pronunciation is based on Seoul dialect, used in news, education, and formal settings. Regional dialects (Gyeongsang, Jeolla, Jeju) have different pronunciation patterns.
For learners: Focus on Standard Korean first.
Key Takeaways
✅ Korean pronunciation follows consistent rules ✅ Master plain/aspirated/tense distinctions ✅ Apply pronunciation rules for natural sound ✅ Practice daily with native content ✅ Record yourself to track progress ✅ Perfect pronunciation isn't necessary—comprehensibility is the goal