Learn Korean and it can be difficult to speak it fluently, but learning the Korean alphabet is quite easy. Hangul, official writing system (korean), help you find the right dish on the menu or locate yourself on the map.
South Korea belongs to the East Asian cultural sphere, and her writing system is a combination of letters, used by Koreans. Many believe, that these are hieroglyphs - but this is an erroneous opinion.
Hangul is the name of the Korean alphabet.. He contains 40 letters: 21 vowel and 19 consonants. It is divided into simple and compound letters.
ㅐㅒㅔㅖㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ
ㄲㄸㅃㅆ
When you master all hangul characters, you can move on to learning the rules of reading. So, let's start with the vowels.
Easy with vowels, almost all letters have our analogues. It's easiest to remember them in pairs.: and I, oh, wow, er, s-and.
Letter “a” pronouncing like “a”.
Letter “I”.
Letter “about”.
Letter “or”.
Another one letter “about”, only recumbent. She's more like a sound “uo”
And she is a couple, another one letter “or”, also recumbent. She will have a sound “yuo”
Letter “in”.
Letter “in”.
If suddenly you met other pronunciations of these letters in other sources or textbooks of Korean, don't be scared. This happens because, that not all Korean sounds can be expressed with our letters, and each textbook author can interpret the sounds of his language in this way, as it seems to him closest to the real sound.
Don't worry, if you find it difficult to distinguish some vowels, with practice, you will begin to hear their difference and slowly understand their pronunciation for yourself. The most important – it's practice, practice, practice! Try saying phrases from songs or shows – and you won't have time to look back, How do you pronounce all sounds correctly?.
Letter “let's go” reads like “To”, when it is at the beginning and end of a word or between two voiceless consonants. When she stands after a voiced consonant or between two vowels, it reads like “Mr”.
Letter “no”. Pronounced like “n”. At the beginning or end of a word or at the junction of two voiced consonants, it reads as “etc”. In a position after a voiced consonant or between vowels, it reads as “d”.
Letter “tight” can be read as “etc” at the beginning and end of a word or between two voiceless consonants. After a voiced consonant, or between two vowels is pronounced like “d”.
Letter “riul” pronounced differently depending on the place in the word. At the beginning of a word or between two vowels, it reads like “p”, at the end of a word or before a consonant – How “l”.
Letter “my brain”. Here we are lucky, just pronounced like “m”.
Letter “peep” has a unique pronunciation. At the beginning and end of a word, and also at the junction between two voiceless consonants, it reads as “p”. But when it comes after a voiced consonant or between two vowels, it reads like “b”.
Letter “all” – pronounce like “with”. But before iotated vowels, such as “and”, “or”, “i” and “I” becomes a special sound, something in between “with” and “sh”.
Letter “shoulder” has a nasal sound “n”, like english “ing” – [ ŋ ], but cannot be used at the beginning of a syllable.
Letter “scratch” pronounced at the beginning and end of words, as well as between voiceless consonants like “h”. When it is after voiced consonants or between two vowels, she sounds soft “J”.
Letter “hiatus” has sound, looking weak “p”.
The remaining consonants are divided into two groups: aspirated and double. We have only four aspirated consonants.
Letter “shack” pronounced like “To” with a little breath.
Letter “that's it” pronounced like a sound “etc”, but breathy.
Letter “phiip” pronounced like a letter “p” with a little breath.
Letter “the ear” sounds like a combination “h” and light breath.
Letter “ssan-kiyok”. Reads like “ky”.
Letter “ssan'-tigit”. Let's pronounce it like “You”.
Letter “ssan'-piip”. Reads like “what”.
Letter “ssan'-siot” has sound “ss”.
Letter “ssan'-chiyt”. Reads like ” what”.
Well, when you have become familiar with all the letters of the Korean language, there is only one thing left to practice. The best thing, certainly, do it under the guidance of experienced teachers on Korean courses.
But if it's not possible, There is always Youtube and tutorials, we have them soon, By the way, will publish on our blog. So check back with us. good luck learning!