Hangul Alphabet
Master the 14 basic consonants, 5 double consonants, 10 basic vowels, and 11 compound vowels.
The Korean Alphabet (한글 - Hangul)
Created in 1443 by King Sejong the Great, Hangul is recognized as one of the most scientific, phonetic writing systems in the world.
Consonant letters are designed directly after the physical shape of the human mouth, tongue, and throat when producing the sound (e.g. ㄱ represents the tongue blocking the throat).
- • 14 Basic Consonants: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ
- • 5 Double Consonants: ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ (tense, pressurized sounds)
Vowels represent the three philosophical pillars of the universe: Heaven (•), Earth (ㅡ horizontal), and Humanity (ㅣ vertical).
- • 10 Basic Vowels: ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅣ
- • 11 Combined Vowels: ㅐ, ㅒ, ㅔ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅟ, ㅢ
Hangul Alphabet
Showing 40 essential expressions in this collection.
i | Listen Size: | Korean (한국어) Size: | English Meaning Size: | How to Say It Size: | Romanization Size: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ㄱ (가) | Consonant: g/k sound (Letter name: Giyeok • 기역) | ga (gi-yeok) | ㄱ (ga) | ||
ㄴ (나) | Consonant: n sound (Letter name: Nieun • 니은) | na (ni-eun) | ㄴ (na) | ||
ㄷ (다) | Consonant: d/t sound (Letter name: Digeut • 디귿) | da (di-geut) | ㄷ (da) | ||
ㄹ (라) | Consonant: r/l sound (Letter name: Rieul • 리을) | ra (ri-eul) | ㄹ (ra) | ||
ㅁ (마) | Consonant: m sound (Letter name: Mieum • 미음) | ma (mi-eum) | ㅁ (ma) | ||
ㅂ (바) | Consonant: b/p sound (Letter name: Bieup • 비읍) | ba (bi-eup) | ㅂ (ba) | ||
ㅅ (사) | Consonant: s sound (Letter name: Siot • 시옷) | sa (si-ot) | ㅅ (sa) | ||
ㅇ (아) | Consonant: Silent at start; ng sound at end (Letter: Ieung • 이응) | ah (i-eung) | ㅇ (a) | ||
ㅈ (자) | Consonant: j sound (Letter name: Jieut • 지읒) | ja (ji-eut) | ㅈ (ja) | ||
ㅊ (차) | Consonant: ch sound (Letter name: Chieut • 치읓) | cha (chi-eut) | ㅊ (cha) | ||
ㅋ (카) | Consonant: aspirated k sound (Letter name: Kieuk • 키읔) | ka (ki-euk) | ㅋ (ka) | ||
ㅌ (타) | Consonant: aspirated t sound (Letter name: Tieut • 티읕) | ta (ti-eut) | ㅌ (ta) | ||
ㅍ (파) | Consonant: aspirated p sound (Letter name: Pieup • 피읖) | pa (pi-eup) | ㅍ (pa) | ||
ㅎ (하) | Consonant: h sound (Letter name: Hieut • 히읗) | ha (hi-eut) | ㅎ (ha) | ||
ㄲ (까) | Double Consonant: tense kk sound (Letter: Ssang-giyeok • 쌍기역) | kka (ssang-gi-yeok) | ㄲ (kka) | ||
ㄸ (따) | Double Consonant: tense tt sound (Letter: Ssang-digeut • 쌍디귿) | tta (ssang-di-geut) | ㄸ (tta) | ||
ㅃ (빠) | Double Consonant: tense pp sound (Letter: Ssang-bieup • 쌍비읍) | ppa (ssang-bi-eup) | ㅃ (ppa) | ||
ㅆ (싸) | Double Consonant: tense ss sound (Letter: Ssang-siot • 쌍시옷) | ssa (ssang-si-ot) | ㅆ (ssa) | ||
ㅉ (짜) | Double Consonant: tense jj sound (Letter: Ssang-jieut • 쌍지읒) | jja (ssang-ji-eut) | ㅉ (jja) | ||
ㅏ (아) | Basic Vowel: ah (like father) | ah | ㅏ (a) | ||
ㅑ (야) | Basic Vowel: yah (like yard) | yah | ㅑ (ya) | ||
ㅓ (어) | Basic Vowel: uh / eo (like son, up) | eo | ㅓ (eo) | ||
ㅕ (여) | Basic Vowel: yuh / yeo (like young) | yeo | ㅕ (yeo) | ||
ㅗ (오) | Basic Vowel: oh (like boat) | oh | ㅗ (o) | ||
ㅛ (요) | Basic Vowel: yoh (like yoga) | yoh | ㅛ (yo) | ||
ㅜ (우) | Basic Vowel: oo (like moon) | oo | ㅜ (u) | ||
ㅠ (유) | Basic Vowel: yoo (like youth) | yoo | ㅠ (yu) | ||
ㅡ (으) | Basic Vowel: eu (unrounded lips, like good) | eu | ㅡ (eu) | ||
ㅣ (이) | Basic Vowel: ee (like see, meet) | ee | ㅣ (i) | ||
ㅐ (애) | Combined Vowel: ae/eh (like cat or bed) | ae | ㅐ (ae) | ||
ㅒ (얘) | Combined Vowel: yae/yeh (like yell) | yae | ㅒ (yae) | ||
ㅔ (에) | Combined Vowel: eh (like pet) | e | ㅔ (e) | ||
ㅖ (예) | Combined Vowel: yeh (like yes) | ye | ㅖ (ye) | ||
ㅘ (와) | Combined Vowel: wah (like water) | wa | ㅘ (wa) | ||
ㅙ (왜) | Combined Vowel: wae/weh (like wet) | wae | ㅙ (wae) | ||
ㅚ (외) | Combined Vowel: weh (like way, wet) | oe | ㅚ (oe) | ||
ㅝ (워) | Combined Vowel: wuh/wo (like won, world) | wo | ㅝ (wo) | ||
ㅞ (웨) | Combined Vowel: weh (like wedding) | we | ㅞ (we) | ||
ㅟ (위) | Combined Vowel: wee (like we) | wi | ㅟ (wi) | ||
ㅢ (의) | Combined Vowel: ui (eu + ee blend) | ui | ㅢ (ui) |
ㄱ (가)
Consonant: g/k sound (Letter name: Giyeok • 기역)
ga (gi-yeok)
ㄱ (ga)
ㄴ (나)
Consonant: n sound (Letter name: Nieun • 니은)
na (ni-eun)
ㄴ (na)
ㄷ (다)
Consonant: d/t sound (Letter name: Digeut • 디귿)
da (di-geut)
ㄷ (da)
ㄹ (라)
Consonant: r/l sound (Letter name: Rieul • 리을)
ra (ri-eul)
ㄹ (ra)
ㅁ (마)
Consonant: m sound (Letter name: Mieum • 미음)
ma (mi-eum)
ㅁ (ma)
ㅂ (바)
Consonant: b/p sound (Letter name: Bieup • 비읍)
ba (bi-eup)
ㅂ (ba)
ㅅ (사)
Consonant: s sound (Letter name: Siot • 시옷)
sa (si-ot)
ㅅ (sa)
ㅇ (아)
Consonant: Silent at start; ng sound at end (Letter: Ieung • 이응)
ah (i-eung)
ㅇ (a)
ㅈ (자)
Consonant: j sound (Letter name: Jieut • 지읒)
ja (ji-eut)
ㅈ (ja)
ㅊ (차)
Consonant: ch sound (Letter name: Chieut • 치읓)
cha (chi-eut)
ㅊ (cha)
ㅋ (카)
Consonant: aspirated k sound (Letter name: Kieuk • 키읔)
ka (ki-euk)
ㅋ (ka)
ㅌ (타)
Consonant: aspirated t sound (Letter name: Tieut • 티읕)
ta (ti-eut)
ㅌ (ta)
ㅍ (파)
Consonant: aspirated p sound (Letter name: Pieup • 피읖)
pa (pi-eup)
ㅍ (pa)
ㅎ (하)
Consonant: h sound (Letter name: Hieut • 히읗)
ha (hi-eut)
ㅎ (ha)
ㄲ (까)
Double Consonant: tense kk sound (Letter: Ssang-giyeok • 쌍기역)
kka (ssang-gi-yeok)
ㄲ (kka)
ㄸ (따)
Double Consonant: tense tt sound (Letter: Ssang-digeut • 쌍디귿)
tta (ssang-di-geut)
ㄸ (tta)
ㅃ (빠)
Double Consonant: tense pp sound (Letter: Ssang-bieup • 쌍비읍)
ppa (ssang-bi-eup)
ㅃ (ppa)
ㅆ (싸)
Double Consonant: tense ss sound (Letter: Ssang-siot • 쌍시옷)
ssa (ssang-si-ot)
ㅆ (ssa)
ㅉ (짜)
Double Consonant: tense jj sound (Letter: Ssang-jieut • 쌍지읒)
jja (ssang-ji-eut)
ㅉ (jja)
ㅏ (아)
Basic Vowel: ah (like father)
ah
ㅏ (a)
ㅑ (야)
Basic Vowel: yah (like yard)
yah
ㅑ (ya)
ㅓ (어)
Basic Vowel: uh / eo (like son, up)
eo
ㅓ (eo)
ㅕ (여)
Basic Vowel: yuh / yeo (like young)
yeo
ㅕ (yeo)
ㅗ (오)
Basic Vowel: oh (like boat)
oh
ㅗ (o)
ㅛ (요)
Basic Vowel: yoh (like yoga)
yoh
ㅛ (yo)
ㅜ (우)
Basic Vowel: oo (like moon)
oo
ㅜ (u)
ㅠ (유)
Basic Vowel: yoo (like youth)
yoo
ㅠ (yu)
ㅡ (으)
Basic Vowel: eu (unrounded lips, like good)
eu
ㅡ (eu)
ㅣ (이)
Basic Vowel: ee (like see, meet)
ee
ㅣ (i)
ㅐ (애)
Combined Vowel: ae/eh (like cat or bed)
ae
ㅐ (ae)
ㅒ (얘)
Combined Vowel: yae/yeh (like yell)
yae
ㅒ (yae)
ㅔ (에)
Combined Vowel: eh (like pet)
e
ㅔ (e)
ㅖ (예)
Combined Vowel: yeh (like yes)
ye
ㅖ (ye)
ㅘ (와)
Combined Vowel: wah (like water)
wa
ㅘ (wa)
ㅙ (왜)
Combined Vowel: wae/weh (like wet)
wae
ㅙ (wae)
ㅚ (외)
Combined Vowel: weh (like way, wet)
oe
ㅚ (oe)
ㅝ (워)
Combined Vowel: wuh/wo (like won, world)
wo
ㅝ (wo)
ㅞ (웨)
Combined Vowel: weh (like wedding)
we
ㅞ (we)
ㅟ (위)
Combined Vowel: wee (like we)
wi
ㅟ (wi)
ㅢ (의)
Combined Vowel: ui (eu + ee blend)
ui
ㅢ (ui)