A Beginner’s Guide to Korean Pronunciation Symbols

Learning Korean can be an exciting journey, but one of the first challenges many learners face is pronunciation. Unlike English, Korean has its own unique set of sounds, and understanding pronunciation symbols can help you master the correct way to speak. In this guide, we’ll break down the basics of Korean pronunciation symbols and how they can help you sound more natural.

I’ve written the Korean pronunciation symbols at the bottom of the post.

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1. Hangul: The Korean Alphabet

Before diving into pronunciation symbols, it’s important to understand that Korean uses its own writing system called Hangul (한글). Unlike English, which uses the Latin alphabet, Hangul is a phonetic system where each letter represents a distinct sound.

• Consonants: ㅂ, ㄷ, ㄱ, ㅅ, ㅈ, etc.
• Vowels: ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, etc.

Each syllable block in Korean consists of one or more consonants and at least one vowel.

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2. Korean Pronunciation Symbols and Their Usage

When learning Korean, you’ll often see pronunciation guides written in Romanization (using Latin letters) or the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Here’s how they work:

1) Romanization System

Romanization helps non-Korean speakers pronounce words by using familiar Latin letters. However, it doesn’t always reflect exact Korean pronunciation. The most common system is the Revised Romanization of Korean (RR), used by the Korean government.

Hangul	Revised Romanization	Approximate English Sound
가	ga	“gah” (as in “garden”)
나	na	“nah” (as in “nacho”)
다	da	“dah” (as in “dollar”)
라	ra	“rah” (as in “rally”)

Tip: Romanization is helpful for beginners but should not replace learning Hangul, as it can sometimes be inaccurate.

2) International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

The IPA system provides a more accurate representation of Korean pronunciation.

For example:

• 가 (ga) → [ka]
• 바 (ba) → [pa]
• 다 (da) → [ta]

As you can see, some consonants sound softer at the beginning of words but change slightly depending on their position in a sentence.

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3. Special Pronunciation Rules

Korean pronunciation follows specific rules that may be different from English. Here are a few important ones:

1) Aspiration

Some Korean consonants have an aspirated version, meaning they are pronounced with a stronger breath.

Non-aspirated	Aspirated
ㄱ (g)	ㅋ (k)
ㄷ (d)	ㅌ (t)
ㅂ (b)	ㅍ (p)
ㅈ (j)	ㅊ (ch)

Example:

• 기 (gi) vs. 키 (ki) → “gi” is softer, while “ki” has a stronger burst of air.

2) Final Consonant Pronunciation (Batchim)

In Korean, some words end with a final consonant called batchim (받침). These final sounds are often pronounced differently than when they appear at the beginning of a syllable.

Hangul	Pronounced As
각 (gak)	“gak” (sharp ending)
갇 (gat)	“gat” (soft ‘t’ sound)
삶 (salm)	“sam” (silent ‘l’)

3) Linking Sounds

When a word ends with a consonant and the next word begins with a vowel, the final consonant often links to the vowel.

Example:

• 맛있어요 (ma-si-sseo-yo) → Pronounced [ma-shi-sseo-yo]

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4. Why Learning Pronunciation Matters

Good pronunciation can make a huge difference in how well you communicate in Korean. Many words in Korean sound similar but have different meanings, so mastering pronunciation helps avoid misunderstandings.

For example:

• 배 (bae) = stomach, boat, or pear (different meanings depending on context)
• 팔 (pal) = arm
• 빨 (ppal) = red (stronger ‘p’ sound)

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5. Tips to Improve Your Korean Pronunciation

1. Listen to native speakers – Watching K-dramas or listening to K-pop can help you get used to natural pronunciation.
2. Practice speaking out loud – Try repeating words and sentences daily.
3. Use language apps – Apps like Duolingo, Anki, or Talk to Me in Korean provide pronunciation guides.
4. Record yourself – Comparing your pronunciation to a native speaker’s can help identify areas for improvement.
5. Get feedback – If possible, ask a native speaker to correct your pronunciation.

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Conclusion

Mastering Korean pronunciation symbols and rules will make learning the language much easier and more enjoyable. While Romanization is a helpful tool in the beginning, learning Hangul and practicing pronunciation with IPA and native speakers will improve your accuracy. Keep practicing, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes—learning a new language is all about progress!

Have any questions or pronunciation struggles? Share them in the comments below!

자음 (Consonants)

Consonant	Romanization	Description
ㄱ	g/k	Sound of ‘g’ or ‘k’
ㄴ	n	Sound of ‘n’
ㄷ	d/t	Sound of ‘d’ or ‘t’
ㄹ	r/l	Sound of ‘r’ or ‘l’
ㅁ	m	Sound of ‘m’
ㅂ	b/p	Sound of ‘b’ or ‘p’
ㅅ	s	Sound of ‘s’
ㅇ	ng	Sound of ‘ng’ (as final)
ㅈ	j	Sound of ‘j’
ㅊ	ch	Sound of ‘ch’
ㅋ	k	Strong ‘k’ sound
ㅌ	t	Strong ‘t’ sound
ㅍ	p	Strong ‘p’ sound
ㅎ	h	Sound of ‘h’

쌍자음 (Double Consonants)

Double Consonant	Romanization	Description
ㄲ	kk	Strong ‘k’ sound
ㄸ	tt	Strong ‘t’ sound
ㅃ	pp	Strong ‘p’ sound
ㅆ	ss	Strong ‘s’ sound
ㅉ	jj	Strong ‘j’ sound

모음 (Vowels)

Vowel	Romanization	Description
ㅏ	a	Sound of ‘a’
ㅐ	ae	Sound of ‘ae’
ㅑ	ya	Sound of ‘ya’
ㅒ	yae	Sound of ‘yae’
ㅓ	eo	Sound of ‘eo’
ㅔ	e	Sound of ‘e’
ㅕ	yeo	Sound of ‘yeo’
ㅖ	ye	Sound of ‘ye’
ㅗ	o	Sound of ‘o’
ㅘ	wa	Sound of ‘wa’
ㅙ	wae	Sound of ‘wae’
ㅚ	oe	Sound of ‘oe’
ㅜ	u	Sound of ‘u’
ㅝ	wo	Sound of ‘wo’
ㅞ	we	Sound of ‘we’
ㅟ	wi	Sound of ‘wi’
ㅠ	yu	Sound of ‘yu’
ㅡ	eu	Sound of ‘eu’
ㅣ	i	Sound of ‘i’

받침 (Final Consonants)

Final Consonant	Romanization	Description
ㄱ	g/k	Sound of ‘g’ or ‘k’
ㄴ	n	Sound of ‘n’
ㄷ	d/t	Sound of ‘d’ or ‘t’
ㄹ	r/l	Sound of ‘r’ or ‘l’
ㅁ	m	Sound of ‘m’
ㅂ	b/p	Sound of ‘b’ or ‘p’
ㅅ	s	Sound of ‘s’
ㅇ	ng	Sound of ‘ng’