Reading Rules

The rules below describe how to read and pronounce Korean syllables.

1. When a syllable ends with two consonants, only one of them is pronounced:
   1. In the syllables with ㄳ, ㄵ, ㄼ, ㄽ, ㄾ, ㅄ, ㄶ, or ㅀ, only the first consonant is pronounced.

      Examples: 값 [갑] [kap] "price", 앉다 [안따] [antta] "sit", 넓다 [널따] [noltta] "wide"

      Note: The first letter of the following syllable after ㄶ or ㅀ is aspirated.

      Examples: 많다 [만타] [mantha] "many", 싫다 [실타] [sitha] "odious".

   2. In syllables with ㄺ, ㄻ, ㄼ, or ㄿ, only the second consonant is pronounced.

      Examples: 읽다 [익따] [iktta] "read", 삶 [삼] [sam] "life".

      Note: Between two vowels, both consonants are pronounced.

      Examples: 앉아 [안짜] [anjja] "sit", 닭을 [달글] [talgeul] "hen (accusative case)".

2. Some consonants have different pronunciations depending on the letters around them.
   1. The consonants ㄷ and ㅌbefore the vowel ㅣ are pronounced like ㅈ and ㅊ.

      Examples: 같이 [가치] [kajhi] "together", 굳이 [구지] [kuji] "firmly".

   2. The consonants ㄷ and ㅌ before the letter 히 are pronounced like 치.

      Examples: 굳히다 [구치다] [kujhida] "harden", 받히다 [바치다] [pajhida] "be struck".

   3. The consonant ㅎ is not pronounced before vowels and the consonant ㄴ.

      Examples: 많은 [만은] [maneun] "many", 않는 [안는] [aneun] (participle of the auxiliary negative verb 않다 ).

3. Another notable feature of the Korean language is assimilation - when one sound is assimilated with another. Assimilation occurs when a syllable that ends with a consonant is followed by a syllable that begins with the consonants ㄹ, ㅁ, or ㄴ.

   The consonant of the previous syllable	The initial letter of the next syllable
   	ㄹ	ㅁ	ㄴ
   ㄹ	-----------	-----------	ㄹ-ㄹ 칠년 [칠련] [jhillyon] "seven years"
   ㅁ	ㅁ-ㄴ 금리 [금니] [keumni] "interest"	-----------	-----------
   ㄴ	ㄹ-ㄹ 반란 [발란] [pallan] "rebellion"	------------	------------
   ㅇ	ㅇ-ㄴ 상류 [상뉴] [sangnyu] "upriver"	-------------	-------------
   ㄱ ㅋ ㄲ ㄺ ㄳ	ㅇ-ㄴ 백리 [뱅니] [paengni] "diarrhea"	ㅇ - ㅁ 국민 [궁민] [kungmin] "nation"	ㅇ -ㄴ 학년 [항년] [hangnyon] "school year"
   ㄷ ㅌ ㅈ ㅊ ㅅ ㅆ	ㄴ-ㄴ	ㄴ-ㅁ 거짓말 [거진말] [kojinmal] "lie"	ㄴ-ㄴ 찾는 [찬는] [jhanneun] "looking for"
   ㅂ ㅍ ㄿ ㅄ	ㅁ-ㄴ 십리 [심니] [simni] "10 lee"	ㅁ-ㅁ 갑문 [감문] [kammun] "lock gate"	ㅁ-ㄴ 입는 [임는] [imneun] "wearing"

See Also:

• Korean Script and Sounds
• Consonants
• Vowels
• Syllables
• Transliteration Systems
• Stress
• About the Korean Language