What does "Hangeul" mean?

What Does “Hangeul” Mean?

The word “Hangeul” is a compound of two native Korean words:

• 한 (Han) — A native Korean word meaning “great,” “one,” or “our (as in our nation)”
• 글 (Geul) — A native Korean word meaning “letter” or “writing”

Therefore, “Hangeul” can be interpreted as: “Our script,” “One great writing,” or “The Korean script.”

Note: The term “Hangeul” did not exist in the time of King Sejong. He called it “Hunminjeongeum” (훈민정음), meaning “the proper sounds to teach the people.” The name “Hangeul” was coined in the early 20th century by linguist Ju Si-gyeong and popularized by the Korean Language Society.

How to Pronounce “Hangeul”

Syllable	Romanization	Similar English Sound	Pronunciation Tip
한	Han	Like Han Solo	Say “Han” as in “Han Solo,” with a short flat ‘a’ like in “father”
글	Geul	Like “good” without the 'd'	Start with a ‘g’ as in “go,” then make a tight ‘oo’ sound deep in your throat

What about the final consonant “ㄹ” in “Geul”?
The final ㄹ is not a strong “L” like in “love,” nor an “R” like in “red.”
It’s a soft tap of the tongue against the ridge behind your upper teeth—similar to the light “l” in British “bottle,” or the end of “little.”
Try softly touching your tongue to the roof of your mouth and stop the sound quickly.

Pronunciation of "Hangeul"