Learn the Korean Alphabet

We’ll start by learning all the consonant characters in the Korean alphabet. Every Hangul letter has a name and it’s own sound. Some characters even have multiple sounds depending on whether or not they’re at the beginning of a word, beginning of a syllable or the end of a word.

Here are the Hangul consonants, their names and the sounds they make.

Giyok (기역):

Start of word: k like in kite

Start of a syllable: g like in go

End of a word: k like in talk

Nieun (니은):

Start of a word: n like in no

Start of a syllable: n like in no

End of a word: n like in no

Digeut (디귿):

Start of a word: t like in talk

Start of a syllable: d like in find

End of a word: t like in not

Rieul (리을 ):

Start of a word: r like in run

Start of a syllable: r like in run

End of a word: l like in feel

Mieum (미음):

Start of a word: m like in mom

Start of a syllable: m like in mom

End of a word: m like in hum

Bieup (비읍):

Start of a word: p like in pool

Start of a syllable: b like in back

End of a word: p like in lap

Siot (시옷):

Start of a word: s like in show

Start of a syllable: s like in show

End of a word: t like in not

Ieung (이응):

Start of a word: no sound

Start of a syllable:no sound

End of a word: ng like in king

Jieut (지읒):

Start of a word: ch like in chop

Start of a syllable: j like in jar

End of a word: t like in not

Chieut (치읓):

Start of a word: ch like in itch

Start of a syllable: ch like in itch

End of a word: t like in not

Kieuk (키읔):

Start of a word: kh like in khaki

Start of a syllable: kh like in khaki

End of a word: kh like in khaki

Tieut (티읕):

Start of a word: t like in tip

Start of a syllable: t like in tip

End of a word: t like in not

Pieup (피읖):

Start of word: p like in pit

Start of a syllable: p like in pit

End of a word: p like in nap

Hieut (히읕):

Start of word: h like in hot

Start of a syllable: h like in hot

End of a word: no sound

There are also a couple of double Hangul consonants in the Korean alphabet. They are as follows:

Ssang Giyok (쌍기역):

Start of word: g like in gone

Start of a syllable: g like in gone

End of a word: g like in gone

Ssang Digeut (쌍디귿):

Start of word: d like in dog

Start of a syllable: d like in dog

End of a word: d like in dog

Ssang Bieup (쌍비읍):

Start of word: b like in bird

Start of a syllable: b like in bird

End of a word: b like in bird

Ssang Siot (쌍시옷):

Start of word: s like in some

Start of a syllable: s like in some

End of a word: t like in not

Ssang Jieut (쌍지읒):

Start of word: j like in Jim

Start of a syllable: j like in Jim

End of a word: t like in not

The vowels in Hangul, the Korean alphabet don’t have names like the consonants do, instead they just have one sort of simple sound. A lot of the vowels have very similar sounds so do your best to try to figure out the difference. You’ll notice that adding another line to it essentially ads a y to the sound and adding a ㅗ or a ㅜ is like adding a w sound to the vowel.