Korean Alphabet

Front 1

ㄱ

Back 1

K/G

In between "k" and "g" sound.

Mouth wide but slightly open

At syllable end: light K/G tap, same for ㄱㅋㄲ

Front 2

ㄴ

Back 2

N

Normal "n" sound

(Nee, nah, nouh, n'y'u, nüh, no)

Front 3

ㄷ

Back 3

D/T

In between "t" and "d" sound, like the middle of bottle

At syllable end: light T/D tap, like "foot" but lighter. Sound is shared with: ㄷ,ㅌ,ㅅ,ㅆ,ㅈ,ㅊ,ㅎ

Front 4

ㄹ

Back 4

R/L

In between "r" and "l", like Japanese

At the end of a syllable: "l", like norwegian "øl"

Front 5

ㅁ

Back 5

M

Normal "m" sound

Front 6

ㅂ

Back 6

P/B

In between "p" and "b"

Mouth slightly open, small plosive

At end of syllable: "p" from "oops" shared with ㅂ,ㅍ

Front 7

ㅅ

Back 7

"S" sound with slight "sh"

At syllable end: light T/D tap, like "foot" but lighter. Sound is shared with: ㄷ,ㅌ,ㅅ,ㅆ,ㅈ,ㅊ,ㅎ

Front 8

ㅈ

Back 8

J

In between "ch", "z" and "t"

At syllable end: light T/D tap, like "foot" but lighter. Sound is shared with: ㄷ,ㅌ,ㅅ,ㅆ,ㅈ,ㅊ,ㅎ

Front 9

ㅎ

Back 9

H

Aspirated "h" sound, like "ch" in german "ich"

At syllable end: light T/D tap, like "foot" but lighter. Sound is shared with: ㄷ,ㅌ,ㅅ,ㅆ,ㅈ,ㅊ,ㅎ

Front 10

ㅣ

Back 10

I

("Ee")

Pull back lips like smilling

Front 11

ㅏ

Back 11

A

("Ah") mouth less open

Sounds like "a" in boston "car"

Front 12

ㅓ

Back 12

Eo

(In between "Uh" from "but" and "aw" from "awful")

Put down chin w/o forcing, open mouth naturally

Front 13

ㅡ

Back 13

Eu

(Between "ooeuh" of disgust and "euh" in "Cook", )

Create some tension in your chin and bottom lip should be flat like the letter's shape. The sound begins with the more "ooeuh" sound

Front 14

ㅜ

Back 14

U

(Closer to "ooh" in "moon")

Make lips small, form lips in forward position and lift them up a little

Front 15

ㅗ

Back 15

O

("Oh" from "sew")

Mouth makes very small circle like end of "you"

Front 16

ㅇ

Back 16

Silent

At end of syllable: "ng" like any "-ing" sound

Front 17

ㄲ

Back 17

Kk

More tense sound, softer like "g"

At syllable end: light K/G tap, same for ㄱㅋㄲ

Front 18

ㅋ

Back 18

K (similar to ㄱ)

Aspirated "k"

At syllable end: light K/G tap, same for ㄱㅋㄲ

Front 19

ㅃ

Back 19

Bb (more forced)

More tense sound, like "b"

Front 20

ㅍ

Back 20

P (similar to ㅂ)

Aspirated "p" sound

At end of syllable: "p" from "oops" shared with ㅂ,ㅍ

Front 21

ㅉ

Back 21

Jj (more forced)

More tense sound, like "dzh"

Front 22

ㅊ

Back 22

Ch (similar to ㅈ, more voiced)

Aspirated "ts" sound

Similar to つ

At syllable end: light T/D tap, like "foot" but lighter. Sound is shared with: ㄷ,ㅌ,ㅅ,ㅆ,ㅈ,ㅊ,ㅎ

Front 23

ㄸ

Back 23

Dd

More tense sound, softer like "d"

Front 24

ㅌ

Back 24

T (similar to ㄷ)

Aspirated "t" sound

At syllable end: light T/D tap, like "foot" but lighter. Sound is shared with: ㄷ,ㅌ,ㅅ,ㅆ,ㅈ,ㅊ,ㅎ

Front 25

ㅆ

Back 25

Ss (more forced)

More tense sound, seems more aspirated

At syllable end: light T/D tap, like "foot" but lighter. Sound is shared with: ㄷ,ㅌ,ㅅ,ㅆ,ㅈ,ㅊ,ㅎ

Front 26

ㅑ

Back 26

Ya

("Ee" to "ah", ㅣ+ㅏ) "ee" sound is faint

Front 27

ㅕ

Back 27

Yeo

("Ee" to "uh", ㅣ+ㅓ) faint smiling "ee" to relaxed chin "uh", let your lips relax. Sounds like german "joa"

Front 28

ㅠ

Back 28

Yu

("Ee" to "ooh",ㅣ+ㅜ) faint smiling "ee" to rounded, lifted lip "ooh". Sounds like "you" but ends abruptly instead of American trail-off

Front 29

ㅛ

Back 29

Yo

("Ee" to "oh",ㅣ+ㅗ) faint smiling "ee" to the rounded mouth "oh"

Front 30

ㅐ

Back 30

Ae

(European "Ehy", same as ㅔ)Sounds in between "eh" from "bet" and the american pronunciation of letter "A" (closer to "A") Pull back corners of lips a little.

Front 31

ㅔ

Back 31

E

(European "Ehy", same as ㅐ) Sounds in between "eh" from "bet" and the american pronunciation of letter "A" (closer to "eh") Pull back corners of lips a little.

Front 32

ㅟ

Back 32

Wi

("Ooh" to "ee", ㅜ+ㅣ)

Rounded, lifted lip "ooh" to faint smiled "ee"

Sounds like ワィ

Front 33

ㅝ

Back 33

Wuh

("Ooh" to "uh" ,ㅜ+ㅓ) Rounded lifted lip "ooh" to relaxed chin "uh"

Front 34

ㅚ

Back 34

Oe

("Oh" to "ehy" , ㅗ+ㅐ) Rounded mouth "oh" to bet- "ehy". Sounds like ワェ

Sounds very similar to ㅙ today

Front 35

ㅘ

Back 35

Wa

("Oh" to "ah", ㅗ+ㅏ) Rounded mouth "oh" to open mouth "ah". Sounds like わ

Front 36

ㅢ

Back 36

Ui

("Ooeuh" to "ee", ㅡ+ㅣ)

Flat mouthed "ooeuh" to faint smile "ee"

Sounds like french "oui"

Front 37

ㅙ

Back 37

Wae

("Oh" to "ehy" , ㅗ+ㅐ) Rounded mouth "oh" to American-A "ehy".

Sounds like ワェ

Sounds very similar to ㅚ today

Front 38

ㅞ

Back 38

We

("Ooh" to "ehy", ㅜ+ㅔ)

Rounded, lifted lip "ooh" to european "ehy". Sounds closer to "eh" from "bet"

Very similar to ㅚ, ㅙ

Front 39

ㅒ

Back 39

Yae

("Ee" to "ehy",ㅣ+ㅐ) sounds similar to ㅖ

Faint smiling "ee" to european "ehy" Here the second sound may sound close to American letter "A"

Sounds like affirmative "yeh"

Front 40

ㅖ

Back 40

Ye

("Ee" to "ehy",ㅣ+ㅔ) sounds similar to ㅒ

Faint smiling "ee" to european "ehy" Here the second sound may sound close to "eh" in "bet"

Sounds like affirmative "yeh"