Learn Korean Alphabet: A Beginner’s Guide to Hangul

Korean Alphabet

Korean may seem like a challenging language to learn at first, especially because of its unique script. But fear not! Once you get to know the Korean alphabet, **Hangul (한글)**, you’ll see how logical and accessible it truly is. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the basics of Hangul and why it’s one of the easiest alphabets to learn.

What is Hangul?

Hangul (한글) is the writing system used in the Korean language. It was invented in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great and his scholars. The goal was to create an alphabet that could be easily understood and used by common people, as the complex classical Chinese characters (Hanja) were only accessible to the educated elite.

Hangul consists of 14 basic consonants and 10 vowels, but it can be combined in many ways to form syllables. It’s a phonetic alphabet, meaning each symbol represents a sound, similar to how the English alphabet works.

The Basic Consonants (자음 - Jaeum)

Here are the basic consonants in Hangul, along with their English equivalents:

ㄱ      g/k          (as in "go" or "key")

ㄴ      n            (as in "no") 

ㄷ      d/t          (as in "dog" or "top")

ㄹ      r/l         (between "r" and "l") 

ㅁ      m         (as in "mom")     

ㅂ      b/p        (as in "bat" or "pat") 

ㅅ      s             (as in "sun")     

ㅇ      ng (silent at the start) (as in "song")

ㅈ      j           (as in "jam")     

ㅊ      ch           (as in "chicken") 

ㅋ      k           (as in "key")     

ㅌ      t           (as in "top")     |

ㅍ      p            (as in "pen")     

ㅎ      h            (as in "hat")     

Notice that **ㅇ** is silent when it’s placed at the beginning of a syllable. It only makes a "ng" sound when it appears at the end of a syllable.

The Basic Vowels (모음 - Moeum)

Hangul vowels are created by combining a base vowel shape with additional strokes, often using vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines.

Here are the basic vowels:

ㅏ      a           (as in "father")  

ㅓ      eo          (as in "song")   

ㅗ      o            (as in "go")      

ㅜ      u            (as in "food")    

ㅡ      eu           (as in "good")   

ㅣ      i            (as in "see")     

ㅔ      e            |(as in "bed")     

ㅐ      ae           (as in "air")    

ㅚ      oe           (as in "boy")    

ㅘ      wa           (as in "water")  |

How Syllables Are Formed

Hangul syllables are formed by combining consonants and vowels into blocks. Each block represents one syllable. A syllable can consist of just a single consonant and vowel, or more complex combinations. 

The basic structure of a syllable looks like this:

1. Consonant + Vowel (e.g., 가 = ㄱ + ㅏ = "ga")

2. Consonant + Vowel + Consonant (e.g., 곰 = ㄱ + ㅗ + ㅁ = "gom")

Here are some more examples:

-한 (han): ㅎ (h) + ㅏ (a) + ㄴ (n)

-나 (na): ㄴ (n) + ㅏ (a)

- 물 (mul): ㅁ (m) + ㅜ (u) + ㄹ (l)

 Additional Letters and Sounds

While the 14 basic consonants and 10 vowels form the foundation, there are a few more advanced sounds, including **double consonants** (쌍자음) and **complex vowels** (이중모음). Double consonants like **ㄲ** (kk), **ㄸ** (tt), and **ㅃ** (pp) have a stronger, more intense sound.

For example:

- ㄲ is pronounced like a more forceful "k"

-ㄸ is a stronger "t"

- ㅃ is a stronger "p"

Complex vowels, such as ㅘ (wa), ㅙ (wae), and ㅚ (oe), combine two simple vowels into one sound.