한글 (The Korean Alphabet)
Who created Hangeul?
King Sejong the Great created Hangeul himself in 1443 and named the scripts Hunminjeongneum(훈민정음), meaning "The proper sounds for teaching people." This is the original name of Hangeul(한글). Dr. Ju Ji-kyung and the Korean Language Research Society coined the name Hangeul in the 1910s. Hangeul means "the greatest script," "the only script," or "the script of the Koreans". Since the 1920s, the name 'Hangeul' has been used in academic and civilian contexts. The first Hangeul Day celebrated in 1926 was called 'Gagyanal(가갸날),' but it was changed to 'Hangeul Day' in 1928.
King Sejong the Great had several scholars from Jiphyeonjeon (집현전) study Hangeul and compiled a guidebook to Hangeul, which is called the Hunminjeongneum Haeryebon(훈민정음 해례본). This book explains the principles, usage, and examples of writing Hangeul and was published in the 28th year of King Sejong (1446), three years after the creation of Hangeul. Hunminjeongneum Haeryebon was discovered in Andong, Gyeongbuk, South Korea, in 1940. It was designated National Treasure No.70 in 1962 and registered by UNESCO in the Memory of the World Programme in 1997.
King Sejong the Great had several scholars from Jiphyeonjeon (집현전) study Hangeul and compiled a guidebook to Hangeul, which is called the Hunminjeongneum Haeryebon(훈민정음 해례본). This book explains the principles, usage, and examples of writing Hangeul and was published in the 28th year of King Sejong (1446), three years after the creation of Hangeul. Hunminjeongneum Haeryebon was discovered in Andong, Gyeongbuk, South Korea, in 1940. It was designated National Treasure No.70 in 1962 and registered by UNESCO in the Memory of the World Programme in 1997.
"A wise man can understand the Korean alphabet before dawn, and even a foolish man can learn it in ten days," the preface of Jeong In-ji, the Minister of Rites, written in the Sejong Annals on September 29, 1446.
Hangeul, as a phonetic script, was a revolutionary concept designed to represent all sounds through the combination of consonants and vowels, bringing the Korean language closer to the ideal of a perfect writing system. It is not merely a set of symbols but an innovative system grounded in a scientific analysis of the phonetic structure of Korean.
Furthermore, King Sejong's creation of Hangeul extended the right to use written language to all social classes, promoting social equality. Hangeul undeniably provides near-perfect efficiency and accuracy in expressing the Korean language.
Hangeul, as a phonetic script, was a revolutionary concept designed to represent all sounds through the combination of consonants and vowels, bringing the Korean language closer to the ideal of a perfect writing system. It is not merely a set of symbols but an innovative system grounded in a scientific analysis of the phonetic structure of Korean.
Furthermore, King Sejong's creation of Hangeul extended the right to use written language to all social classes, promoting social equality. Hangeul undeniably provides near-perfect efficiency and accuracy in expressing the Korean language.
Why did King Sejong create Hangeul?
The Korean language has been around for a long time without its writing system. Our ancestors borrowed Chinese characters, which made it difficult to express all the Korean words. The difference between spoken and written language and the difficulty of Chinese characters made it hard for ordinary people to learn and use them. King Sejong the Great created Hangeul to provide scripts for the Korean people, a means of more accessible communication among the people, as Koreans did not have the characters to write their language.
Using Chinese characters posed a significant barrier to public written communication during that era. First, Korean is entirely different from Chinese; second, learning Chinese characters takes time and effort, especially for farmers and commoners. However, this situation was also the basis for the rulers to maintain their power. Only the ruling class could learn Chinese characters as they had the time and resources to learn the complicated characters. They also had the chance to take the national exams written in complicated characters for becoming high-ranking officers. Passing the exams was the basis for entering the bureaucracy and gaining political power and economic benefits. For the ruling class, complicated Chinese characters are vital to maintaining power.
King Sejong the Great, in his wisdom, created Hangeul to address this issue. Hangeul, a script that was easy for everyone to learn, not only facilitated communication but also expanded educational opportunities. Moreover, Hangeul's ability to accurately represent the sounds and pronunciation of the Korean language contributed to its development and standardization. Consequently, Hangeul played a pivotal role in efficiently using and comprehending the Korean language, thereby propelling the advancement of Korean society and culture.
Using Chinese characters posed a significant barrier to public written communication during that era. First, Korean is entirely different from Chinese; second, learning Chinese characters takes time and effort, especially for farmers and commoners. However, this situation was also the basis for the rulers to maintain their power. Only the ruling class could learn Chinese characters as they had the time and resources to learn the complicated characters. They also had the chance to take the national exams written in complicated characters for becoming high-ranking officers. Passing the exams was the basis for entering the bureaucracy and gaining political power and economic benefits. For the ruling class, complicated Chinese characters are vital to maintaining power.
King Sejong the Great, in his wisdom, created Hangeul to address this issue. Hangeul, a script that was easy for everyone to learn, not only facilitated communication but also expanded educational opportunities. Moreover, Hangeul's ability to accurately represent the sounds and pronunciation of the Korean language contributed to its development and standardization. Consequently, Hangeul played a pivotal role in efficiently using and comprehending the Korean language, thereby propelling the advancement of Korean society and culture.
What is 훈민정음?
Hun-min-jeongn-eum(훈민정음) is both the name of the script we call Hangeul and the name of a book. There are two versions of Hun-min-jeong-eum: Hae-rye-bon (written in Chinese characters) and Un-hae-bon (written in Hangeul). King Sejong published the Korean alphabet in 1446, three years after its creation. Initially, there were 28 characters, but four consonants and one vowel became obsolete and disappeared. Only 24 characters are used today, including 14 consonants and ten vowels.
- Hangeul is the alphabetic system used for writing the Korean language and also spelled Hangul or Han’gŭl.
- Hangeul was created by King Sejong the Great during the Joseon Dynasty in 1443.
- He wanted to make literacy more accessible for all Koreans, regardless of their social status or educational background.
- The alphabet is known for its simplicity and scientific design, with each character representing the shape and sound of the mouth when pronouncing the corresponding sound.
- The Korean alphabet consists of 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels, making 24 letters in the Korean alphabet system.
- Consonant in Korean is called "자음(Jaeum)." 자음 is from the Chinese character 子音. In Jaeum, "Ja(子)" means a son, and "eum(音)" means a sound.
- In pure Korean, it is called "Dassori(닿소리)." In "Dassori(닿소리)," da(닿) came from the Korean verb "Data(닿다), which means "Touch."
- Jaeum or Dassori cannot make sounds alone. They must touch the vowel sound to make a sound. In other words, the son sound(Jaeum) cannot make a sound without the presence of the mother sound(Moeum). In Moeum(母音), "Mo(母)" means a mother, and "eum(音)" means a sound.
- Thus, Hangeul Jamo means the Korean alphabet, consonants, and vowels.
- Moeum in English is Vowel and in pure Korean is "Holsori(홀소리). In "Holsori," "Hol" means "Alone," and "Sori" means "Sound," that is, it makes sound alone.
- For example, the consonant "ㄱ" cannot be pronounced alone. It needs mother sounds such as "ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ..." to be pronounced as "가, 갸, 거, 겨, ..."
- The fourteen consonants of hangeul are made by adding strokes on the five root letters (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅅ, ㅇ), which were made after the shape of vocal organs when pronounced; the number of added strokes depends on the strength of sound.
- The letter representing the universe (ㆍ) is called "A.Rae.A." It is used as a stroke to add on "ㅡ" and "ㅣ" for making one-stroke added vowels such as " ㅗ, ㅏ, ㅜ, ㅓ" and two-stroke added vowels such as "ㅛ, ㅑ, ㅠ, ㅕ" depending on the open and close of the mouth.
- In 1933, when the Korean language society made "The standard rule of hangeul spelling," A.Rae.A (ㆍ) was omitted. Now, the total number of basic vowels is ten "ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅣ."
- Vowels are essential elements that makeup syllables in Korean; every syllable must have one vowel.
14 basic consonants
double consonants
We can use double consonants for sounds that cannot be written using the basic consonants. The double consonants, ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ, are fortis. They are made with the same consonants placed together in parallel. There are only five double consonants.
What are 쌍자음 (Double Consonants)?
In Korean, 쌍자음 (ssang-ja-eum) are "double consonants." They are created by doubling five basic consonants and are pronounced with a tense sound. These sounds require more pressure and tension in the vocal cords compared to their single consonant counterparts.
The 5 쌍자음 and Their Pronunciations
How to Teach Their Pronunciation
Key Tips for Learners
In Korean, 쌍자음 (ssang-ja-eum) are "double consonants." They are created by doubling five basic consonants and are pronounced with a tense sound. These sounds require more pressure and tension in the vocal cords compared to their single consonant counterparts.
The 5 쌍자음 and Their Pronunciations
- ㄲ (ssang-giyeok)
- Romanization: gg
- Pronunciation: Similar to a tense "k" or "g" sound. It’s stronger than ㄱ but not aspirated.
- Example: 꼬리 (ggori - tail)
- ㄸ (ssang-digeut)
- Romanization: dd
- Pronunciation: A tense "d" sound, stronger than ㄷ.
- Example: 딸기 (ddalgi - strawberry)
- ㅃ (ssang-bieup)
- Romanization: pp
- Pronunciation: A tense "p" sound, stronger than ㅂ but not aspirated.
- Example: 빵 (ppang - bread)
- ㅆ (ssang-siot)
- Romanization: ss
- Pronunciation: A tense "s" sound. In some cases, it may sound like a soft "sh" in front of vowels like ㅣ (i).
- Example: 쌀 (ssal - rice)
- ㅉ (ssang-jieut)
- Romanization: jj
- Pronunciation: A tense "j" or "ch" sound.
- Example: 짜다 (jjada - salty)
How to Teach Their Pronunciation
- Use Single Consonants as a Starting Point:
Explain that the single consonants (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅈ) are the foundation of double consonants. - Demonstrate Tension:
Encourage students to feel tension in their throat or tongue when pronouncing 쌍자음. They should avoid letting air escape, unlike aspirated consonants like ㅋ, ㅌ, or ㅍ. - Practice Minimal Pairs:
Provide examples that contrast single and double consonants:- 가다 (gada - go) vs. 까다 (ggada - peel)
- 다리 (dari - leg) vs. 딸 (ddar - daughter)
- Repeat and Imitate:
Practice makes perfect! Play audio clips of native speakers and have students repeat until they get comfortable with the sounds.
Key Tips for Learners
- These sounds don’t exist in English, so it’s okay if they feel challenging at first.
- Focus on mastering the tense sound without adding an extra "h" or puff of air.
- Listen to native speakers and imitate their pronunciation.
standard pronunciations of the five double consonants (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) in Korean:
1. ㄲ (Double Giyeok)
2. ㄸ (Double Digeut)
3. ㅃ (Double Bieup)
4. ㅆ (Double Siot)
5. ㅉ (Double Jieut)
Notes on Pronunciation:
1. ㄲ (Double Giyeok)
- Pronunciation: [kk]
- Examples:
- 꽃 → [kkot] (flower)
- 깎다 → [kkak-tta] (to cut)
2. ㄸ (Double Digeut)
- Pronunciation: [tt]
- Examples:
- 딸기 → [ttal-gi] (strawberry)
- 똑똑하다 → [ttok-ttok-ha-da] (to be smart)
3. ㅃ (Double Bieup)
- Pronunciation: [pp]
- Examples:
- 빵 → [ppang] (bread)
- 뽀뽀 → [ppo-ppo] (kiss)
4. ㅆ (Double Siot)
- Pronunciation: [ss]
- Examples:
- 쌀 → [ssal] (rice)
- 쓰다 → [sseu-da] (to write/use)
5. ㅉ (Double Jieut)
- Pronunciation: [jj]
- Examples:
- 짧다 → [jjal-tta] (to be short)
- 짜장면 → [jja-jang-myeon] (black bean noodles)
Notes on Pronunciation:
- Double consonants are pronounced as fortis sounds, meaning they are stronger and more emphasized than their single consonant counterparts.
- The pronunciation may vary slightly depending on the word's position in a sentence or phrase.
Pronunication of five double consonants
10 Basic vowels
The number of basic Korean vowels is ten, and the order and name are as follows. Vowels are essential elements that makeup syllables in Korean; every syllable must have one vowel.
Eleven extended vowels were made by combining the ten basic vowels. Therefore, the total number of Korean vowels is 21.
How were consonants made?
The five root consonants "ㄱ," "ㄴ," "ㅁ," "ㅅ," and "ㅇ" in Hangeul were made by following the shape of the vocal organs. The rest fourteen consonants were made by adding strokes. As strokes are added to the root consonants, the sound of the stroke-added letters becomes stronger than the sound of the root consonants. But there is one exceptional case in the modern Korean alphabet. It is "ㄹ," of which sound origin is similar to "ㄴ," but it doesn't get stronger in sound strength, not like other stroke-added consonants.
How were consonant names made?
In 1443 (the 25th year of King Sejong's reign), King Sejong created Hangeul. He named the letters as Hun-Min-Jeong-Eum(훈민정음), which is also a book title. After three years of the practical test, he published the book titled "Hun-Min-Jeong-Eum in 1446. But it is unclear how King Sejong called the consonants and vowels, as we cannot find the names in the book.
In 1527, a linguist named Choi, Se-Jin wrote a book titled "Hun-Mong-Ja-Hoe(훈몽자회)," which is a Chinese character study book for children. In this book, there are 3,360 Chinese characters. He explained the meaning and sound of Chinese characters with Hun-Min-Jeong-Eum(Hangeul). For example, he taught the Hanja, 木, meaning "Tree," with the order of "meaning" and "sound" using Hangeul, such as "나무(meaning) 목(sound)." Another example is 水, "물(meaning) 수(sound)", etc.
In this book, he named consonants and vowels to explain the consonants and vowels for those who didn't know Hangeul in Chinese characters. As Hun-Mong-Ja-Hoe was a Chinese character study book, he used Chinese characters to name the Korean consonants and vowels. The method is to use two syllables for the consonant name. The first syllable combines the consonant and the vowel "ㅣ" to show how the consonant is used as the first sound. The second syllable combines the vowel "ㅡ" and the consonant to show how the consonant is used as the final sound or batchim.
For example, the name of "ㄴ" is "니은" because "ㄴ" is combined with the vowel "ㅣ" as the first sound at the first syllable and "ㄴ" is combined with the vowel "ㅡ" as the final sound at the second syllable. He borrowed Chinese characters having the same pronunciation regardless of the meaning to write the Hangeul consonant names, such as 尼隱(니은). But there were no Chinese characters that could represent the sound of 윽 in "기윽," 읃 in "디읃" and 읏 in "시읏." So, he adopted a Chinese character similar to "윽" and Chinese characters whose meaning in Korean sounds similar to "읃" and "읏." Thus, instead of "기윽," "디읃," and "시읏," they were named "기역," "디귿" and "시옷."
Thus, out of the fourteen basic consonants, eleven consonants were named as "니은, 리을, 미음, 비읍, 이응, 지읒, 치읓, 키읔, 티읕,피읖, 히읗" while the three consonants were named as "기역, 디귿, 시옷." So the names of fourteen consonants are "기역," "니은," "디귿," "리을," "미음," "비읍," "시옷," "이응," "지읒," "치읓," "키읔," "티읕," "피읖," "히읗".
In 1527, a linguist named Choi, Se-Jin wrote a book titled "Hun-Mong-Ja-Hoe(훈몽자회)," which is a Chinese character study book for children. In this book, there are 3,360 Chinese characters. He explained the meaning and sound of Chinese characters with Hun-Min-Jeong-Eum(Hangeul). For example, he taught the Hanja, 木, meaning "Tree," with the order of "meaning" and "sound" using Hangeul, such as "나무(meaning) 목(sound)." Another example is 水, "물(meaning) 수(sound)", etc.
In this book, he named consonants and vowels to explain the consonants and vowels for those who didn't know Hangeul in Chinese characters. As Hun-Mong-Ja-Hoe was a Chinese character study book, he used Chinese characters to name the Korean consonants and vowels. The method is to use two syllables for the consonant name. The first syllable combines the consonant and the vowel "ㅣ" to show how the consonant is used as the first sound. The second syllable combines the vowel "ㅡ" and the consonant to show how the consonant is used as the final sound or batchim.
For example, the name of "ㄴ" is "니은" because "ㄴ" is combined with the vowel "ㅣ" as the first sound at the first syllable and "ㄴ" is combined with the vowel "ㅡ" as the final sound at the second syllable. He borrowed Chinese characters having the same pronunciation regardless of the meaning to write the Hangeul consonant names, such as 尼隱(니은). But there were no Chinese characters that could represent the sound of 윽 in "기윽," 읃 in "디읃" and 읏 in "시읏." So, he adopted a Chinese character similar to "윽" and Chinese characters whose meaning in Korean sounds similar to "읃" and "읏." Thus, instead of "기윽," "디읃," and "시읏," they were named "기역," "디귿" and "시옷."
Thus, out of the fourteen basic consonants, eleven consonants were named as "니은, 리을, 미음, 비읍, 이응, 지읒, 치읓, 키읔, 티읕,피읖, 히읗" while the three consonants were named as "기역, 디귿, 시옷." So the names of fourteen consonants are "기역," "니은," "디귿," "리을," "미음," "비읍," "시옷," "이응," "지읒," "치읓," "키읔," "티읕," "피읖," "히읗".
Korean Syllables
The syllables in Korean are composed of initial, middle, and final sounds. Only vowels can be middle sounds, and only consonants can be initial and final sounds. There cannot be two initial consonants. The number of syllables in a word is the same as that of middle vowels.
The Korean syllables can be one of the following four cases:
Case 1. Vowel (V)
Case 2. Consonant + Vowel (CV)
Case 3. Vowel + Consonant (VC)
Case 4. Consonant + Vowel +Consonant (CVC)
Case 1: Syllables can be with the middle sound alone, such as "이 (Tooth)." "ㅇ" in "이" is used as a symbol to fill the space before the vowel. So the sound "이" is the same as the vowel sound "ㅣ."
Case 2: Syllables can be with the initial sound and the middle sound without the final sound, such as "자(Ruler)."
Case 3: Syllables can be with the middle and final sounds such as "일(Number one or Work)."
Case 4: Syllables can be with the initial, middle, and final sounds, such as "문(Door)."
The final sound is also called "받침 (Batchim)," which means support or prop as it is placed below the initial and middle sounds. The shape of Korean syllables looks like a square box.
Fourteen basic consonants, two double consonants (ㄲ and ㅆ) and eleven double final consonants (ㄳ, ㄵ, ㄶ, ㄺ, ㄻ, ㄼ, ㄽ, ㄾ, ㄿ, ㅀ, ㅄ) can be used as Batchim. The eleven double final consonants are used only for Batchim, not counted as the Korean alphabet. From the Korean standard pronunciation rule, there are 19 consonants (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ, ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) and 21 vowels (ㅏ, ㅑ ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅐ, ㅒ, ㅔ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅟ, ㅢ) in the Korean alphabet.
One of the big differences between Korean and English is in the counting of syllables in a word. In Korean, a word's middle sounds (vowels) match the number of syllables.
For example, "토끼(Rabbit)" is a two-syllable word, and "어머니(Mother)" is a three-syllable word. However, in English, only pronounced vowels are accepted as a syllable, which significantly contrasts with Korean in that all vowels are accepted as syllables.
One example is "side," which is a one-syllable word in English. But when it is written in Korean, it becomes a three-syllable word. Because "side" in Korean is "사이드" and there are three vowels, "ㅏ" in "사," "ㅣ" in "이," and "ㅡ" in "드." Thus, "사이드" consists of three syllables. Hangeul has one syllable with one sound value so that any word can be read directly without pronunciation symbols.
The Korean syllables can be one of the following four cases:
Case 1. Vowel (V)
Case 2. Consonant + Vowel (CV)
Case 3. Vowel + Consonant (VC)
Case 4. Consonant + Vowel +Consonant (CVC)
Case 1: Syllables can be with the middle sound alone, such as "이 (Tooth)." "ㅇ" in "이" is used as a symbol to fill the space before the vowel. So the sound "이" is the same as the vowel sound "ㅣ."
Case 2: Syllables can be with the initial sound and the middle sound without the final sound, such as "자(Ruler)."
Case 3: Syllables can be with the middle and final sounds such as "일(Number one or Work)."
Case 4: Syllables can be with the initial, middle, and final sounds, such as "문(Door)."
The final sound is also called "받침 (Batchim)," which means support or prop as it is placed below the initial and middle sounds. The shape of Korean syllables looks like a square box.
Fourteen basic consonants, two double consonants (ㄲ and ㅆ) and eleven double final consonants (ㄳ, ㄵ, ㄶ, ㄺ, ㄻ, ㄼ, ㄽ, ㄾ, ㄿ, ㅀ, ㅄ) can be used as Batchim. The eleven double final consonants are used only for Batchim, not counted as the Korean alphabet. From the Korean standard pronunciation rule, there are 19 consonants (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ, ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) and 21 vowels (ㅏ, ㅑ ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅐ, ㅒ, ㅔ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅟ, ㅢ) in the Korean alphabet.
One of the big differences between Korean and English is in the counting of syllables in a word. In Korean, a word's middle sounds (vowels) match the number of syllables.
For example, "토끼(Rabbit)" is a two-syllable word, and "어머니(Mother)" is a three-syllable word. However, in English, only pronounced vowels are accepted as a syllable, which significantly contrasts with Korean in that all vowels are accepted as syllables.
One example is "side," which is a one-syllable word in English. But when it is written in Korean, it becomes a three-syllable word. Because "side" in Korean is "사이드" and there are three vowels, "ㅏ" in "사," "ㅣ" in "이," and "ㅡ" in "드." Thus, "사이드" consists of three syllables. Hangeul has one syllable with one sound value so that any word can be read directly without pronunciation symbols.
Syllable table from combination of 14 basic consonants and 10 vowels
the syllable-final sound rule
There are 19 Korean consonants, 14 basic consonants, and five double consonants. They are: ㄱ, ㄲ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄸ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅃ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅉ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ.
When these consonants are used as initial consonants (초성), they are pronounced according to their original pronunciation. But when they are used as final consonants(종성), some are pronounced differently from the sound when used as the initial sound.
"종성(jong-sung)" is originated from Chinese character, 종(pronounced jong) means "final" and 성(pronounced as seong) means "sound." Thus, 종성 means final sound or final consonant. In pure Korean word, "종성" is "받침(batchim)."
In the English language, the alphabet is all written in parallel. But in the Korean alphabet, the final consonant is placed below the initial sound, and the middle (vowel) sound as if the batchim supports the initial and middle sounds. The word "support" in Korean means "받치다(bat-chi-da)," and its noun form is "받침(batchim)." Thus, the final consonant is sometimes called "받침 (batchim).
"수박 (watermelon)" is pronounced as "su-bak." In this case, "ㅅ" in "수박" is pronounced like the "s" sound as it is used as the initial sound.
But when "ㅅ" is used as "batchim," such as in "웃다 (smile)," "ㅅ" is pronounced as "욷따(ut-dda)." That is, when "ㅅ" is used as a final consonant (batchim), then "ㅅ" is pronounced as "ㄷ(t)" instead of "ㅅ(s)."
Only seven consonants (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅇ) are pronounced as their pronunciation regardless of whether they are used as initial consonants or as final consonants. Except for these seven consonants, the rest of the 12 consonants (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅉ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ) are pronounced differently at the "batchim and pronounced as one of the seven consonants." These 12 consonants are pronounced as one of the seven consonants if used as "batchim," called the final sound of syllable rule."
"ㄲ, ㅋ" at batchim position is pronounced as "ㄱ" if they are used at the end of a word alone with no other continuous words or sentences next to it. They are also pronounced as "ㄱ" if followed by a word whose first syllable starts with a consonant.
For example, "겪다," meaning experience, suffer, and undergo, is pronounced as "격따(gyeok-dda)." In this word, batchim "ㄲ" is pronounced as "ㄱ" according to the final sound of syllable rule."
Another thing to notice is the Fortis Phenomenon, which is applied to the first consonant of the second syllable, "ㄷ," which is pronounced as "ㄸ(dd)." This is called Fortis Phenomenon (경음화 현상). 경음 (Gyeongeum) means "Strong sound."
ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ at batchim position are pronounced as "ㄷ." For example, "웃다(smile)" is pronounced as "욷따(ut-dda)." In this word, batchim "ㅅ" is pronounced as "ㄷ."
“ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅈ” becomes a strong sound (경음), “ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ”, when the batchim of the previous syllable are pronounced as “ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ”. Such batchims are "ㄱ(ㄲ, ㅋ, ㄳ, ㄺ), ㄷ(ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ), ㅂ(ㅍ, ㄼ, ㄿ, ㅄ)."
From this fortis phenomenon, the first consonant of the second syllable “ㄷ” in “웃다” becomes a strong sound “ㄸ.” Thus, it pronounces as "욷따(ut-dda)."
The next batchim pronounced differently from when used as an initial consonant is "ㅍ." it is pronounced as "ㅂ" when it is used as batchim. For example, the batchim "ㅍ" in "덮다, meaning cover, is pronounced as "덥따(deop-dda)." the "ㄷ" in the second syllable changed to "ㄸ" due to the fortis phenomenon.
When these consonants are used as initial consonants (초성), they are pronounced according to their original pronunciation. But when they are used as final consonants(종성), some are pronounced differently from the sound when used as the initial sound.
"종성(jong-sung)" is originated from Chinese character, 종(pronounced jong) means "final" and 성(pronounced as seong) means "sound." Thus, 종성 means final sound or final consonant. In pure Korean word, "종성" is "받침(batchim)."
In the English language, the alphabet is all written in parallel. But in the Korean alphabet, the final consonant is placed below the initial sound, and the middle (vowel) sound as if the batchim supports the initial and middle sounds. The word "support" in Korean means "받치다(bat-chi-da)," and its noun form is "받침(batchim)." Thus, the final consonant is sometimes called "받침 (batchim).
"수박 (watermelon)" is pronounced as "su-bak." In this case, "ㅅ" in "수박" is pronounced like the "s" sound as it is used as the initial sound.
But when "ㅅ" is used as "batchim," such as in "웃다 (smile)," "ㅅ" is pronounced as "욷따(ut-dda)." That is, when "ㅅ" is used as a final consonant (batchim), then "ㅅ" is pronounced as "ㄷ(t)" instead of "ㅅ(s)."
Only seven consonants (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅇ) are pronounced as their pronunciation regardless of whether they are used as initial consonants or as final consonants. Except for these seven consonants, the rest of the 12 consonants (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅉ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ) are pronounced differently at the "batchim and pronounced as one of the seven consonants." These 12 consonants are pronounced as one of the seven consonants if used as "batchim," called the final sound of syllable rule."
"ㄲ, ㅋ" at batchim position is pronounced as "ㄱ" if they are used at the end of a word alone with no other continuous words or sentences next to it. They are also pronounced as "ㄱ" if followed by a word whose first syllable starts with a consonant.
For example, "겪다," meaning experience, suffer, and undergo, is pronounced as "격따(gyeok-dda)." In this word, batchim "ㄲ" is pronounced as "ㄱ" according to the final sound of syllable rule."
Another thing to notice is the Fortis Phenomenon, which is applied to the first consonant of the second syllable, "ㄷ," which is pronounced as "ㄸ(dd)." This is called Fortis Phenomenon (경음화 현상). 경음 (Gyeongeum) means "Strong sound."
ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ at batchim position are pronounced as "ㄷ." For example, "웃다(smile)" is pronounced as "욷따(ut-dda)." In this word, batchim "ㅅ" is pronounced as "ㄷ."
“ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅈ” becomes a strong sound (경음), “ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ”, when the batchim of the previous syllable are pronounced as “ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ”. Such batchims are "ㄱ(ㄲ, ㅋ, ㄳ, ㄺ), ㄷ(ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ), ㅂ(ㅍ, ㄼ, ㄿ, ㅄ)."
From this fortis phenomenon, the first consonant of the second syllable “ㄷ” in “웃다” becomes a strong sound “ㄸ.” Thus, it pronounces as "욷따(ut-dda)."
The next batchim pronounced differently from when used as an initial consonant is "ㅍ." it is pronounced as "ㅂ" when it is used as batchim. For example, the batchim "ㅍ" in "덮다, meaning cover, is pronounced as "덥따(deop-dda)." the "ㄷ" in the second syllable changed to "ㄸ" due to the fortis phenomenon.
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