Sounds That Change
Korean Alphabet 2
Course 2 · Chapter 10 · Sounds That Change
Spelled One Way, Said Another
You now know all 51 letters and every block shape. This chapter covers the last surprise: Korean spelling keeps the base form of each word, but when sounds meet, they change. You have already seen some of it (double finals before a vowel, 싫다 sounding like 실타). Here are the main patterns, each with a few words. Hangul comes first; the actual sound is behind a click.
1. Linking — a Final Moves to the Next Vowel
When a block ending in a consonant is followed by a block that begins with the silent ㅇ, the final consonant is pronounced as the start of the next syllable.
| Written | English | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| 먹어요 | I eat | Show머거요 (meo-geo-yo) |
| 한국어 | the Korean language | Show한구거 (han-gu-geo) |
| 음악 | music | Show으막 (eu-mak) |
| 꽃이 | the flower (subject) | Show꼬치 (kko-chi): the final ㅊ links as itself |
2. Nasalisation — a Stop Before ㄴ or ㅁ Becomes a Nasal
A final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound followed by ㄴ or ㅁ turns into the matching nasal: ㄱ→ㅇ (ng), ㄷ→ㄴ, ㅂ→ㅁ.
| Written | English | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| 한국말 | the Korean language (spoken) | Show한궁말 (han-gung-mal) |
| 감사합니다 | thank you | Show감사함니다 (gam-sa-ham-ni-da) |
| 짧네요 | it's short | Show짤레요 (jjal-le-yo): see section 3 too |
3. The ㄹ Rules
- ㄹ after ㅁ or ㅇ is pronounced ㄴ: 종로 sounds like 종노 (jong-no), and Wikipedia's Korean phonology page uses this kind of change.
- ㄴ next to ㄹ becomes ㄹ: 신라 sounds like 실라 (sil-la).
4. ㅎ Aspiration
ㅎ merges with a neighbouring ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ or ㅈ and makes the aspirated sound (ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ). You met this in 싫다 and 많다 (Chapters 7–9).
| Written | English | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| 좋다 | to be good | Show조타 (jo-ta) |
| 입학 | entering a school | Show이팍 (i-pak) |
| 좋아요 | I like it; it's good | Show조아요 (jo-a-yo): ㅎ is silent before a vowel |
5. Tensing — a Stop After a Stop Gets Tense
After a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ sound, the next ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ or ㅈ is pronounced tense (the ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ sounds from Chapters 1 and 2). You have seen this in 짧다 → 짤따 and 없다 → 업따.
| Written | English | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| 학교 | school | Show학꾜 (hak-kkyo) |
| 입구 | entrance | Show입꾸 (ip-kku) |
| 식당 | restaurant | Show식땅 (sik-ttang) |
6. Palatalisation — ㄷ and ㅌ Before ㅣ
When a final ㄷ or ㅌ links to a syllable beginning with the vowel ㅣ (usually in a suffix like 이), it is pronounced ㅈ or ㅊ.
| Written | English | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| 같이 | together | Show가치 (ga-chi) |
| 굳이 | insistently; necessarily | Show구지 (gu-ji) |
7. Back to ㅖ and ㅢ
Chapter 4 said ㅖ and ㅢ vary. The common patterns are below.
- ㅖ after a consonant is usually said like ㅔ: 시계 (watch; clock) is usually said 시게 (si-ge).
- ㅢ in the middle of a word is often said like ㅣ: 회의 (meeting) as 회이 (hoe-i). As the possessive particle 의 it is often said like ㅔ: 나의 책 (my book) as 나에 책.
Try It Yourself — 연습
Say each answer out loud first, then click to check.
1. How is 먹어요 pronounced?
Show answer
머거요 (meo-geo-yo): the ㄱ links to the next vowel.
2. How is 한국말 pronounced, and which rule applies?
Show answer
한궁말 (han-gung-mal): nasalisation, ㄱ becomes ㅇ before ㅁ.
3. How is 좋다 pronounced?
Show answer
조타 (jo-ta): ㅎ aspirates the ㄷ.
4. How is 학교 pronounced?
Show answer
학꾜 (hak-kkyo): tensing, the ㄱ after a final ㄱ becomes tense.
5. How is 같이 pronounced?
Show answer
가치 (ga-chi): palatalisation, ㅌ before ㅣ becomes ㅊ.
6. How are 종로 and 신라 pronounced?
Show answer
종노 (jong-no) and 실라 (sil-la).