Korean PRONUNCIATION

Learning Korean
한국어 배우기
*PRONUNCIATION*

#CONSONANT
ㄱ - g (like g in go when between vowels; sometimes like the k in kept )
ㅋ- k (like k in kept )
ㄴ- n ( like n in never)
ㄷ- d (like d in dog when between vowels; sometimes like the t in tip)
ㅌ- t (like t in tip)
ㄹ- r/l (like l in lip; between vowels; like r in rail; at the beggining of words, ㄹ is either unpronounced or pronounced as n )
ㅅ- s (like s in pass; when followed by ㅣ, like sh in she
ㅈ- j (like j in jump when between vowels; sometimes like ch in check )
ㅊ- ch (like ch in check)
ㅁ- m (like m in mother)
ㅂ- b (like b in boy when between vowels; sometimes like p in pick)
ㅍ- p (like p in pick)
ㅇ- -/-ng (zero initial is used in syllables that begin with a vowel sound. When it follows a vowel at the end of a syllable, it is pronounced ng (ex. 안 = an; 녕 = nyeong)
ㅎ- h (like english h in hot; when appearing after ㄱ,ㄷ,ㅂ,ㅅ,ㅈ,or ㅊ, it is not pronounced, but instead aspirates the following consonant: ㄱ(k) ㄷ(t) ㅂ(p) ㅅ(t) ㅊ(t) ㅈ(ch)

#DOUBLE CONSONANT
ㄲ- gg/kk (like k in kept but tensed)
ㄸ- dd/tt (like t in stop but tensed)
ㅃ- bb/pp (like p in picture but tensed)
ㅆ- ss (like s in spit but tensed; when followed by ㅣ, somewhere between sh in she and c in cease, but tensed)
ㅉ- jj (like j in jump but tensed)
#VOCALICS
PURE VOWELS
ㅗ- o (like o in so)
ㅓ - eo (like the u in cup)
ㅏ - a (like the a in father)
ㅣ - i (like the ee in feet)
ㅜ - u (like the oo in coop)
ㅡ - eu (like the i in bid, but pronounced further back in the throat)
#IOTIZED VOWELS
ㅛ - yo (like yo in yo-yo)
ㅕ - yeo (like the you in young)
ㅑ - ya (like the ya in yacht)
ㅠ - yu (like the you in youth)
#DIPHTHONGS
ㅐ - ae ( like the e in set)
ㅒ - yae (like yet without the t)
ㅔ - e (like the a in cake)
ㅖ - ye (like yay)
ㅘ - wa (like the wa in water)
ㅙ - wae (like the we in wet)
ㅚ - oe (like the oy in boy)
ㅝ - wo (like the wha in what)
ㅞ - we (like we in weigh)
ㅟ - wi (ㅜ + ㅣ = like the whea in wheat)
ㅢ - ui (say ㅡ and quickly say l after that. ㅡ + ㅣ = ㅢ)







http://www.korean.go.kr/hangeul/cpron/main.htm