Learn to read Korean
A short, active path into reading Korean: take a syllable block apart, decode ten real words before the full alphabet, learn the sound changes automatic romanizers get wrong, and read a small story before opening your first book.
Sounds
2 sectionsYour first reading job: take one square apart
- One square is one syllable. Inside: consonant first, then vowel — to the right if the vowel is tall, underneath if it is flat.
- A third letter can sit under the square: the closing sound, called the 받침bat-chim.
- The circle ㅇ is a silent placeholder at the front of a square, and ng underneath one.
- Sixteen letters are enough to decode the ten words in the next section.
Read Korean one square at a time, from left to right. Each square is one syllable: several letters fitted together. Meet the letters first, then build a few squares together before trying to take one apart.
Only the sixteen letters the next ten words need
| Letter | Sound to try |
|---|---|
| ㄱg | g as in go |
| ㄴn | n as in no |
| ㅁm | m as in me |
| ㅂb | b; a plain p underneath a square |
| ㅅs | s as in see |
| ㅇ— / ng | silent at the front; ng underneath |
| ㅈj | j as in jam |
| ㅎh | h as in hat |
| ㅍp | p with a puff of air; plain p underneath |
| ㄹr / l | a light tap between r and l; an l underneath |
| ㅏa | a as in father |
| ㅐae | e as in bed |
| ㅗo | o as in more, lips rounded |
| ㅜu | oo as in moon |
| ㅣi | ee as in see |
| ㅕyeo | yu as in young |
Ten consonants and six vowels. The rest — there are not many — are in the letter-reference section; nothing before the readings needs them.
Start with a consonant, then add a vowel. The vowel decides the layout: tall vowels ㅏ ㅐ ㅣ ㅕ sit to the right; flat vowels ㅗ ㅜ sit below. The letters squeeze into one square, so their proportions can change. Say the result as one syllable.
Build a square, one letter at a time
1. Put a tall vowel beside it
ㄱ + ㅏ → 가ga
- Start with ㄱg on the left.
- Place ㅏa on its right. Read left → right: g + a makes 가ga.
2. Put a flat vowel below it
ㄱ + ㅗ → 고go
- Keep ㄱg, this time at the top.
- Place ㅗo below it. Read top → bottom: g + o makes 고go.
3. Add a closing sound underneath
ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅇ → 강gang
- Build 가ga again: ㄱ left, ㅏ right.
- Fit ㅇng under both letters. Read the top pair, then the bottom: ga + ng makes 강gang“river”.
4. Close a stacked block too
ㅁ + ㅜ + ㄹ → 물mul
- Put ㅁm above ㅜu to make 무mu.
- Fit ㄹl below the vowel. Read top → middle → bottom: mu + l makes 물mul“water”.
Now try the pattern in a small grid. Choose a consonant row and a vowel column; where they meet is the finished square. Across a row, only the vowel changes. Down a column, only the starting consonant changes.
Same letters, sixteen small squares
| Row | ㅏ a · right | ㅣ i · right | ㅗ o · below | ㅜ u · below |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ g | 가ga | 기gi | 고go | 구gu |
| ㄴ n | 나na | 니ni | 노no | 누nu |
| ㅁ m | 마ma | 미mi | 모mo | 무mu |
| ㅇ silent | 아a | 이i | 오o | 우u |
These are syllables to practise, not a vocabulary list to memorise. Follow the ㅁ row: ma, mi, mo, mu. Notice how the vowel moves from beside the consonant to below it.
Take one apart together
Unpack the square before you say it
Keep the letter table and worked examples handy. Find the vowel, then read the starting consonant, vowel, and any closing consonant underneath. Try the sound, then reveal.
- 비
A tall vowel, standing to the right.
Show answer +Hide answer −
ㅂ + ㅣ → 비bi“rain” - 문
Three letters: one is underneath.
Show answer +Hide answer −
ㅁ + ㅜ + ㄴ → 문mun“door” - 눈
The first and last letter are the same one.
Show answer +Hide answer −
ㄴ + ㅜ + ㄴ → 눈nun“snow; eye”