What is Hangul?
Hangul (한글) is the Korean writing system, created by King Sejong the Great in 1443. Unlike most writing systems that evolved over centuries, Hangul was deliberately designed to be easy to learn. King Sejong wanted all Korean people — not just the educated elite — to be able to read and write.
The shapes of Hangul consonants are based on the shape of the mouth and tongue when producing each sound. This scientific design makes Korean one of the most logical writing systems in the world.
The 14 Basic Consonants
| Consonant | Name | Romanization | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | 기역 (giyeok) | g/k | Like 'g' in 'go' | 가방 (gabang) = bag |
| ㄴ | 니은 (nieun) | n | Like 'n' in 'no' | 나무 (namu) = tree |
| ㄷ | 디귿 (digeut) | d/t | Like 'd' in 'do' | 다리 (dari) = bridge |
| ㄹ | 리을 (rieul) | r/l | Between 'r' and 'l' | 라면 (ramyeon) = ramen |
| ㅁ | 미음 (mieum) | m | Like 'm' in 'mom' | 모자 (moja) = hat |
| ㅂ | 비읍 (bieup) | b/p | Like 'b' in 'boy' | 바다 (bada) = sea |
| ㅅ | 시옷 (siot) | s | Like 's' in 'sun' | 사과 (sagwa) = apple |
| ㅇ | 이응 (ieung) | silent/ng | Silent at start, 'ng' at end | 아기 (agi) = baby |
| ㅈ | 지읒 (jieut) | j | Like 'j' in 'joy' | 자동차 (jadongcha) = car |
| ㅊ | 치읓 (chieut) | ch | Like 'ch' in 'church' | 차 (cha) = tea |
| ㅋ | 키읔 (kieuk) | k | Like 'k' in 'key' (aspirated) | 코 (ko) = nose |
| ㅌ | 티읕 (tieut) | t | Like 't' in 'top' (aspirated) | 토끼 (tokki) = rabbit |
| ㅍ | 피읖 (pieup) | p | Like 'p' in 'pop' (aspirated) | 포도 (podo) = grape |
| ㅎ | 히읗 (hieut) | h | Like 'h' in 'hat' | 하늘 (haneul) = sky |
Consonant Groups by Articulation
Korean consonants are organized by where and how they are produced in the mouth:
| Group | Name | Consonants | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아음 (velar) | Throat/back sounds | ㄱ, ㅋ | Back of tongue + soft palate |
| 설음 (alveolar) | Tongue sounds | ㄴ, ㄷ, ㅌ, ㄹ | Tongue tip + alveolar ridge |
| 순음 (bilabial) | Lip sounds | ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅍ | Both lips |
| 치음 (dental/sibilant) | Teeth sounds | ㅅ, ㅈ, ㅊ | Tongue + teeth/palate |
| 후음 (glottal) | Throat sounds | ㅇ, ㅎ | Glottis/throat |
Notice the pattern: each group has a basic consonant, an aspirated version (with a puff of air), and sometimes a nasal version.
The 5 Double Consonants (쌍자음)
Double consonants (쌍자음, ssang-jaeum) are tense versions of five basic consonants. They are pronounced with more tension in the throat — no puff of air, but a stronger, tighter sound.
| Double | Name | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄲ | 쌍기역 (ssang-giyeok) | kk (tense) | 까치 (kkachi) = magpie |
| ㄸ | 쌍디귿 (ssang-digeut) | tt (tense) | 딸기 (ttalgi) = strawberry |
| ㅃ | 쌍비읍 (ssang-bieup) | pp (tense) | 빵 (ppang) = bread |
| ㅆ | 쌍시옷 (ssang-siot) | ss (tense) | 쓰다 (sseuda) = to write |
| ㅉ | 쌍지읒 (ssang-jieut) | jj (tense) | 짜다 (jjada) = salty |
Tip: Think of the difference between saying "sky" (tense 'k', no puff) vs "key" (aspirated 'k', with puff). Korean double consonants are like the tense version.
The Three-Way Distinction
Korean has a unique three-way distinction that doesn't exist in English:
| Type | ㄱ group | ㄷ group | ㅂ group | ㅈ group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plain (기본) | ㄱ (g) | ㄷ (d) | ㅂ (b) | ㅈ (j) |
| Aspirated (격음) | ㅋ (k) | ㅌ (t) | ㅍ (p) | ㅊ (ch) |
| Tense (경음) | ㄲ (kk) | ㄸ (tt) | ㅃ (pp) | ㅉ (jj) |
Writing Practice
When writing Korean consonants, follow the stroke order:
- ㄱ: One horizontal stroke, then one vertical stroke downward
- ㄴ: One vertical stroke down, then one horizontal stroke right
- ㄷ: ㄴ shape + one horizontal stroke on top
- ㅁ: A square — top, left side, right side, bottom
- ㅂ: Two vertical strokes, then horizontal bars
Practice writing each consonant at least 5 times to build muscle memory.