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  3. Korean Pronunciation
  • Front Vowel
  • Central Vowel
  • Back Vowel
  • y(ㅣ)-Glide Diphthong
  • w(ㅗ/ㅜ)-Glide Diphthong
  • (ㅢ) Diphthong
  • Bilabial Consonant
  • Alveolar Consonant
  • Palatal Consonant
  • Velar Consonant
  • Glottal Consonant

Pronunciation

ㄱ/k/

1. Basic identity of ㄱ

• Type: Velar stop

• IPA (base): /k ~ g/

• Key feature: Sound changes by position

• No aspiration (unlike ㅋ)

ㄱ is not always “k”.

2. How to pronounce ㄱ

Tongue position

• Back of the tongue touches the soft palate (velum)

At the beginning of a word / stressed syllable

• Sounds like a soft “k”

• IPA: [k] (unaspirated)

Examples:

• 가 /ka/

• 고기 /ko-gi/

English “k” is usually aspirated (strong air).

Korean ㄱ has little air.

Between vowels

• Sounds like [g]

• Voiced naturally

Examples:

• 아기 → [a-gi]

• 고기 → [ko-gi]

Final consonant (받침)

• Pronounced as [k̚]

• No release, no air

• ㄱ[k] is the represented sound of ㄱ, ㅋ, ㄲ.

Unreleased [k]. Tongue touches soft palate, stops airflow without explosion.

Examples:

• 국 → [kuk̚]

• 백 → [pɛk̚]


Syllables composed by ㄱ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
1 ㅣ 기 기분 mood
2 ㅔ 게 게 crab
3 ㅐ 개 개 dog
4 ㅚ 괴 괴물 monster
5 ㅟ 귀 귀국 return to one's country
1 ㅡ 그 그림 painting
2 ㅓ 거 거리 distance
3 ㅏ 가 가격 price
1 ㅗ 고 고향 hometown
2 ㅜ 구 구조 rescue
1 ㅕ 겨 겨울 winter
2 ㅛ 교 교사 teacher
3 ㅠ 규 규칙 regulation
4 ㅖ 계 계산 calculation
1 ㅘ 과 과일 fruit
2 ㅙ 괘 점괘 oracle
3 ㅞ 궤 궤도 track

Pronunciation

ㄲ/k͈/


1. Basic identity of ㄲ

Type: Tense (fortis) velar stop

Key features:

  • Very strong muscle tension
  • No aspiration (no air)
  • Voiceless

• Double consonant of ㄱ

ㄲ is tight and sharp, not airy.

2. How to pronounce ㄲ correctly

Step-by-step

1. Tongue

  • Back of the tongue presses firmly against the soft palate

2. Tension

  • Tighten tongue and throat

3. Air

  • Do NOT release air

4. Release

  • Short, hard stop

Think “block → snap”, not kh.

3. Position rules

Syllable initial

• Always [k͈]

• Never becomes [g]

Examples:

까다

꼬리

끼다

Final consonant (받침)

• Pronounced as [k̚]

• Same as ㄱ in final position

Examples:

• 밖 → [pak̚]

• 깎다 → [k͈ak̚-tta]


Syllables composed by ㄲ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
1 ㅣ 끼 끼니 a meal
2 ㅔ 께 께 to
3 ㅐ 깨 깨 sesame seed
4 ㅚ 꾀 꾀병 feigned illness
1 ㅡ 끄 끄다 to turn off
2 ㅓ 꺼 꺼려하다 to hesitate
3 ㅏ 까 까치 magpie
1 ㅗ 꼬 꼬리 tail
2 ㅜ 꾸 꾸다 to dream
1 ㅘ 꽈 꽈배기 a twisted Korean doughnut
2 ㅙ 꽤 꽤 quite
3 ㅞ 꿰 꿰다 to see through

Pronunciation

ㅋ/kʰ/

1. Basic identity of ㅋ

• Type: Aspirated velar stop

• IPA: /kʰ/

• Key feature: Strong aspiration (lots of air)

• Voiceless

ㅋ sounds like a strong “k” with a big puff of air.

2. How to pronounce ㅋ correctly

Step-by-step

1. Tongue

  • Back of the tongue touches the soft palate

2. Block air

3. Release strongly

  • Push out a lot of air

4. No voicing

Hand test: put your hand in front of your mouth — you should clearly feel air.

3. Position rules

Syllable initial

• Always [kʰ]

• Never becomes [g]

Examples:

• 카 /kʰa/

• 코 /kʰo/

• 키 /kʰi/

Final consonant (받침)

• Pronounced as [k̚]

• No aspiration in final position

Examples:

• 부엌 → [pu-ʌk̚]

• 즉각 → [tɕɯ-k͈ak̚]


Syllables composed by ㅋ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
1 ㅣ 키 키 height of a person
2 ㅔ 케 케익 cake
3 ㅐ 캐 캐시 cash
1 ㅡ 크 크다 big
2 ㅓ 커 커피 coffee
3 ㅏ 카 카메라 camera
1 ㅗ 코 코 nose
2 ㅜ 쿠 쿠키 cookie
1 ㅠ 큐 큐 queue
1 ㅝ 쿼 쿼터 quarter
2 ㅙ 쾌 쾌속 high speed
3 ㅞ 퀘 퀘스트 quest

Pronunciation

ㅇ/ŋ/

1. Basic identity of ㅇ

ㅇ has no fixed sound.

Its pronunciation depends entirely on where it appears.

2. ㅇ at the beginning of a syllable

• Sound: silent

• IPA: Ø (no sound)

• Function: Placeholder for vowels

Examples:

• 아 → [a]

• 오 → [o]

• 영어 → [ʌ-ŋʌ]

ㅇ exists only to allow a vowel to appear in syllable-initial position.

3. ㅇ as a final consonant (받침)

• Sound: /ŋ/

• IPA: [ŋ]

• Articulation:

Back of the tongue touches the soft palate

Air flows through the nose

Examples:

• 강 → [kaŋ]

• 공 → [koŋ]

• 방 → [paŋ]

Same sound as ng in sing.

4. Important pronunciation rules

(1) Never pronounced as [g] or [k]

❌ 방 = bang (with g sound)

⭕ 방 = bang (nasal)

(2) Liaison (연음)

When followed by a vowel, final ㅇ moves to the next syllable:

• 강아지 → [ka-ŋa-ji]

• 공원 → [ko-ŋwʌn]


Syllables composed by ㅇ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
Course Image

Greetings

This collection of 100 essential expressions focuses on greetings, daily interactions, politeness, and emotional connection—covering situations such as meeting someone, parting ways, showing gratitude, offering support, and expressing care.

Rather than memorizing isolated words, these phrases help learners understand how Korean is naturally used in real-life conversations. Many expressions include important cultural elements such as respect, hierarchy, and warmth, which are central to Korean communication.

By studying these phrases, learners will:

  • Develop practical speaking skills for daily conversations
  • Understand common sentence patterns and polite forms
  • Gain confidence in social and professional interactions
  • Become familiar with Korean cultural nuances

    Course Image

    Greetings

    This collection of 100 essential expressions focuses on greetings, daily interactions, politeness, and emotional connection—covering situations such as meeting someone, parting ways, showing gratitude, offering support, and expressing care.

    Rather than memorizing isolated words, these phrases help learners understand how Korean is naturally used in real-life conversations. Many expressions include important cultural elements such as respect, hierarchy, and warmth, which are central to Korean communication.

    By studying these phrases, learners will:

    • Develop practical speaking skills for daily conversations
    • Understand common sentence patterns and polite forms
    • Gain confidence in social and professional interactions
    • Become familiar with Korean cultural nuances

      Course Image

      Greetings

      This collection of 100 essential expressions focuses on greetings, daily interactions, politeness, and emotional connection—covering situations such as meeting someone, parting ways, showing gratitude, offering support, and expressing care.

      Rather than memorizing isolated words, these phrases help learners understand how Korean is naturally used in real-life conversations. Many expressions include important cultural elements such as respect, hierarchy, and warmth, which are central to Korean communication.

      By studying these phrases, learners will:

      • Develop practical speaking skills for daily conversations
      • Understand common sentence patterns and polite forms
      • Gain confidence in social and professional interactions
      • Become familiar with Korean cultural nuances