Simple Vowels, Diphthongs, Consonants, Strong Consonants, Double Consonants (V, DT, C,

SC, DC)

Word Pronunciation Context (If Needed)

아 ah V

어 aw V

우 ooh V

오 oh V

이 i V

야 ya DT

여 yeo DT

유 yoo DT

요 yo DT

으 eu (put teeth together and go V

eu)

ㅝ wah like the we in shower DT

and the wa in wardrobe

ㅟ wi V

ㅢ ui DT

ㅘ wa like the wa in waffle DT

ㅞ weh like the we in welsh and DT

the we in dwell

ㅚ weh like the we in welsh and DT

the we in dwell

예 yeh DT

얘 yay DT

ㅁ m (like mom) C

ㅂ p, but similar to b in between C

vowels

ㄴ n (like name) C
ㄷ t, but similar to d in between C
vowels (dental t)

ㄹ r like radio word-initial and in C

between vowels and l like
milk word-final (dental t)

ㄱ k, but similar to g in between C

vowels (tongue touching
bottom teeth)

ㅍ read as p with a higher pitch, SC

no similar sounds in English.

ㅅ sh before ㅣ, ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ C
s elsewhere (teeth together)

ㅈ no matching sound in C
English, similar to z (put
tongue to roof of mouth ?)

ㅊ no matching sound in SC
English, similar to ch (put
tongue to roof of mouth?)

ㅌ Similar to the t in time (dental SC

t but stronger?)

ㅋ K (put tongue to the bottom SC

teeth and make sound
stronger/higher pitch?)

ㅇ no sound on the first position C

of the syllable

ㅎ h SC

애 eh C

에 eh C

ㅃ hard p like the p in speak, DC

spider, and specify (close
your mouth longer than ㅍ
when you read ㅃ

ㄸ hard t like the t in stella, style, DC

and storm (close your mouth
longer than ㅌ when you read
ㄸ)
ㅆ hard s like the s in socks, DC
soccer, and success

ㅉ Close your mouth longer than DC

ㅊ when you read ㅉ

ㄲ hard k/c/ch like the k in sky, DC

the c in scale, and the ch in
school (close your mouth
longer than ㅋ when you read
ㄲ)

ㄵ ㄵ is used as a consonant DC
base and is pronounced as
ㄴ

ㄶ ㄶ is used as a consonant DC
base and is pronounced as
ㄴ. ㅎ is silent in between
vowels and consonants
except for consonants ㄱ, ㄷ,
ㅂ, ㅈ. ㅎ turns ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅈ
into ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ

ㄺ ㄺ is used as a consonant DC
base and is pronounced as
ㄱ, but when a vowel follows,
ㄱ gets moved to the vowel.
Ex: 닭 would be pronounced
as 달기

ㄻ ㄻ is used as a consonant
base and is pronounced as
ㅁ, but when a vowel follows,
ㅁ gets moved to the vowel.
Ex: 삶이 would be
pronounced as 살미

ㄼ ㄼ is used as a consonant
base and is pronounced as
ㄹ, but when a vowel follows,
ㅂ gets moved to the vowel.
Ex: 여덟이 would be
pronounced as 여덜비

There is an exception where

ㅂ will be used rather than ㄹ.
Found in words like 밟다,
밟게, & 밟지

ㄽ ㄽ is used as a consonant
 base and is pronounced as
ㄹ, but when a vowel follows,
ㅅ gets moved to the vowel.
Ex: 외곬으로 would be
pronounced as 외골스로

ㄾ ㄾ is used as a consonant
base and is pronounced as
ㄹ, but when a vowel follows,
ㅌ gets moved to the vowel.
Ex: 핥아서 would be
pronounced as 할타서

ㅀ ㅀ is used as a consonant
base and is pronounced as
ㄹ, but when a vowel follows,
ㄱ gets moved to the vowel.
Ex: 닭 would be pronounced
as 달기

Word-initially it is pronounced
as [ㅎ], but [ㅎ] is
pronounced as [ㄷ] before a
consonant except for [ㄱ, ㄷ,
ㅈ] or word-finally, and as [ㅋ,
ㅌ, ㅊ] before [ㄱ,ㄷ, ㅈ],
and disappears between
vowels or between [ㄹ, ㄴ]
and a vowel when it is a
consonant
base.
Word-initial: 하나 [hana]
Before a consonant except
for [ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅈ] or word-final:
좋니, 히읗
Before [ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅈ]: 좋군
[조쿤], 좋지 [조치], 좋다
[조타]
Between vowels or between
[ㄹ, ㄴ] and a vowel:
좋아요 [조아요], 앓아 [아라],
않아 [아나]

ㅄ ㅄ

ㄳ ㄳ

마, 머, 모, 무, 므, 먀, 며, 묘, ma, mau, mo, moo, meu, C

뮤, 미 mya, myau, myo, myoo, mi
바, 버, 보, 부, 브, 뱌, 벼, 뵤, pa, pau, po, poo, peu, pya, C
뷰, 비 pyau, pyo, pyoo, pi

나, 너, 노, 누, 느, 냐, 녀, 뇨, na, nau, no, noo, neu, nya, C

뉴, 니 nyau, nyo, nyoo, ni

다, 더, 도, 두, 드, 댜, 뎌, 됴, ta, tau, toh, too, teu, tya, tyau, C

듀, 디 tyoh, tyoo, tu

라, 러, 로, 루, 르, 랴, 려, 료, ra, rau, ro, roo, reu, rya, ryau, C

류, 리 ryo, ryoo, ri

가, 거, 고, 구, 그, 갸, 겨, 교, ka, kau, koh, koo, keu, kya, C

규, 기 kyau, kyo, kyoo, ki

Vocab

Word Meaning Pronunciation Context/Type of Word

의자 Chair Uija

아이 Child Ahee

오이 Cucumber Ohee

아우 Younger sibling Ahooh

이 Tooth/Teeth Ee

위 Above Wi

우유 Milk Oohyooh

여우 Fox Yeo ooh

여유 Being relaxed Yeoyooh

유아 Infant Yoohah

이유 Reason Eeyooh

샤워 Shower Shaweo

궁궐 Palace Koong Kweol

귀엽다 To be cute Kwi Yeop Ta

귀 Ear Kwi
바퀴 Wheel Bwa Kkwi

이모 Your Aunt on your Eemoh

mom’s side

다리 Bridge/leg tahree

밖 Outside Bakk

나비 Butterfly Nahbee

비버

나무

도로

바다

앉아요 To sit

이마 Forehead Eemah

부모 One’s Parents Boomoh

갔어요 Went Ka Sshau Yo

닭 Chicken Dak (닥)

추워요 It's cold

닮다 To resemble; to look
like

넓다 To be spacious; wide

밟다
Phrases

Word Meaning Pronunciation Context/Type of Word

뭐예요 What is that? Mweo Yeh Yo

고마워요 Thank you (Informal)

따라하세요 Please repeat after Ttarahaseyo

me.

잘들으세요 Please listen Jal Deureuseyo

carefully.

읽으세요 Please read. Ilgeuseyo

여기보세요 Please look here. Yeogi Boseyo

쓰세요 Please write. Sseuseyo

Traditional Korean Numbers

Number Meaning Pronunciation Context/Type of Word

하나 1 Hana

둘 2 Dul

셋 3 Seht 섿

넷 4 Neht 넫

다섯 5 Tasaut 다섣

여섯 6 Yausaut 여섣

일곱 7 Ilkop
 여덟 8 Yeotahl 여덜

아홉 9 Ahhop/b

열 10 Yeol

열하나 11 Yeolhana

열둘 12 Yeoldool

열셋 13 Yeolsaet 섿

열넷 14 Yeolnaet 넫

열다섯 15 Yeoltasaut 다섣

열여섯 16 Yeolryausaut 열려섣

열일곱 17 Yeolrilkohp 열릴곱

열여덟 18 Yeolryautaul 열려덜

열아홉 19 Yaurahohp 여라홉

스물 20 Seumool

서른 30 Saureun

마흔 40 maheun

쉰 50 sween

예순 60 Yeosoon

일흔 70 Ilheun

여든 80 Yaudeun

아흔 90 Aheun

백 100 B/Paek

Counting Units

Counter Meaning Pronunciation Context/Type of Word

한 + counting unit 1 becomes 한 when Han

하나 is in front of a
counting unit
두 + counting unit 2 becomes 두 when Du
둘 is in front of a
counting unit

세 + counting unit 3 becomes 세 when Sae

셋 is in front of a
counting unit

네 + counting unit 4 becomes 네 when Nae

넷 is in front of a
counting unit

스무 + counting unit 20 becomes 스무 Seumoo

when 스물 is in front
of a counting unit