Korean Consonants 1: Mastering the 10 Basic Sounds
A Friendly Deep-Dive for English-Speaking Beginners
When you start learning Hangul (the Korean alphabet), the first real wall is usually consonants.
English has consonants too, of course, but the sound system is different enough that many beginners say:
“It looks like ‘g’ or ‘t’… but it doesn’t quite sound like it.”
If you treat Korean consonants as random symbols and just try to memorize them, it quickly feels dry and confusing.
The real shortcut is to see each consonant as a kind of:
“pronunciation map” for your mouth.
Every consonant shows:
- where your tongue goes,
- how your lips move, and
- how your throat opens or closes.
Once you connect the shape of the letter, the shape of your mouth, and the sound you hear, your reading and pronunciation both improve much faster.
In this guide, we’ll focus on the 10 core Korean consonants:
ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅎ
If you truly understand just these 10, you can already start reading a surprising number of everyday Korean words—and even guess meanings from context, because we’ll use real vocabulary with simple English meanings.
1. Hangul consonants = visual “maps” of pronunciation
One of the most interesting facts about Hangul is this:
The letters are designed to show how the sound is made.
Korean consonants were created by looking at your actual speech organs:
- the tongue
- the lips
- the throat
and then turning those shapes into simple lines.
A few examples of this “pronunciation map” idea:
- ㄱ — looks like the shape made when the back of the tongue moves toward the throat
- ㄴ — shows the tongue tip touching the upper gums
- ㅁ — draws the closed lips
- ㅇ — represents the open throat/mouth in a round shape
So when you see ㄱ, ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅇ, you’re not just seeing symbols.
You’re looking at a visual hint of what your mouth and tongue should do.
If you keep this in mind while studying, every consonant becomes:
a small picture + sound + meaning package,
not just a letter on the screen.
2. The 10 basic consonants – sound, mouth shape, and real-word examples
Below, we’ll go through each consonant with:
- IPA (approximate) – for more precise learners
- Similar English sound – so your brain has a reference
- Mouth position – the “map” part
- Example words – with Hangul · romanization · meaning
Note: IPA here is simplified on purpose. For serious phonetics, you can always cross-check with a dedicated pronunciation video or resource.
① ㄱ (giyeok) — between g and k
- IPA (simplified): /k ~ g/
- Similar to: a soft g (as in “go”) or light k (as in “sky”)
- Mouth position: The back of your tongue moves close to the soft palate near your throat.
Example words (Hangul · romanization · meaning)
- 가방 · gabang · bag
- 고기 · gogi · meat
- 한국 · Hanguk · Korea
Common issue
Beginners often make it either:
- too strong, like a sharp English K, or
- too heavy, like a deep English G.
Think of ㄱ as living in the middle zone: a soft k / light g, depending on position.
② ㄴ (nieun) — basically n
- IPA: /n/
- Similar to: English n in “note”
- Mouth position: Tongue tip touches the upper gums.
Example words
- 나무 · namu · tree
- 나라 · nara · country
- 눈 · nun · snow
Most English speakers get ㄴ quickly. It’s a nice “confidence consonant” early in your studies.
③ ㄷ (digeut) — between d and t
- IPA (simplified): /t ~ d/
- Similar to: between d in “day” and t in “stay”
- Mouth position: Tongue tip lightly touches the upper gums.
Example words
- 다리 · dari · bridge
- 도시 · dosi · city
- 운동하다 → word without ㄷ, skip; use instead
- 달다 · dalda · to be sweet
Frequent mistakes
- using a very strong, explosive English T, or
- using a very heavy, fully voiced D.
Try whispering ㄷ sounds softly. Whispering often pulls you closer to the natural Korean feeling: a soft d / light t.
④ ㄹ (rieul) — not exactly L, not exactly R
This is the sound many learners are nervous about.
- IPA: /ɾ ~ l/ (a flap/tap sound)
- Similar to:
- the quick r in Spanish “pero” (not “perro”), and
- sometimes like an l, depending on position
- Mouth position: Tongue tip taps the ridge behind your upper teeth once and quickly leaves.
Example words
- 라면 · ramyeon · instant noodles/ramen
- 라디오 · radio · radio
- 길 · gil · road, way
What often happens
- Rolling it too dramatically like an English Rrrrr
- Holding it too long like an L
The “pronunciation map” for ㄹ is: tap and go.
Short, light, and quick — imagine your tongue just saying “hi” to the roof of your mouth and immediately leaving.
⑤ ㅁ (mieum) — just m
- IPA: /m/
- Similar to: English m in “mom”
- Mouth position: Lips come together and close fully.
Example words
- 물 · mul · water
- 머리 · meori · head
- 엄마 · eomma · mom
Simple, familiar, and very common in everyday vocabulary.
⑥ ㅂ (bieup) — between b and p
- IPA (simplified): /p ~ b/
- Similar to: often like a soft b, sometimes a light p
- Mouth position: Lips close, then open as the sound is released.
Example words
- 바다 · bada · sea
- 버스 · beoseu · bus
- 밥 · bap · cooked rice / meal
Typical problems
- pronouncing it as a strong, explosive English P, or
- making it a heavy, fully voiced B.
Imagine “b” with the volume turned down a bit.
You’ll notice in real speech that Korean ㅂ often sounds softer than English P or B.
⑦ ㅅ (siot) — usually s, sometimes sounds like sh
- IPA: /s/ (and often /ɕ/ before ㅣ)
- Similar to: English s, but before ㅣ (i), your ear may hear sh.
- Mouth position: Air flows between tongue and teeth.
Example words
- 사람 · saram · person
- 시간 · sigan · time
- 사과 · sagwa · apple
When combined with ㅣ (i), as in 시, many English speakers hear something close to “shi”, not a clean “si.” That’s part of the reason ㅅ is often described as living between s and sh.
⑧ ㅇ (ieung) — silent in front, ng at the end
This consonant’s “pronunciation map” changes depending on where it appears.
- IPA:
- at the beginning of a syllable: no sound
- at the end: /ŋ/ (like ng in “sing”)
At the beginning (silent helper)
- 아이 · ai · child
- 오이 · oi · cucumber
Here, ㅇ only fills the consonant slot so the syllable can start with a vowel. The sound comes entirely from the vowel.
At the end (ng sound)
- 방 · bang · room
- 공 · gong · ball
Many learners ask:
“Why write a letter if it has no sound?”
The simple rule of the map:
- Front of a syllable → ㅇ = silent
- Bottom of a syllable → ㅇ = ng
Once that clicks, ㅇ stops being mysterious and becomes very predictable.
⑨ ㅈ (jieut) — soft j, a bit like j/ch
- IPA: /tɕ ~ dʑ/
- Similar to: English j in “job”, but a bit softer; sometimes feels slightly like ch
- Mouth position: Tongue touches just behind the upper teeth, then releases.
Example words
- 자전거 · jajeongeo · bicycle
- 자기 · jagi · oneself (also used like “honey” between couples)
- 집 · jip · house
You can think of ㅈ as a soft j.
If it starts sounding like a very strong “ch” (as in “church”), you’re probably pushing too much air.
⑩ ㅎ (hieut) — basically h
- IPA: /h/
- Similar to: English h in “hot” or “house”
- Mouth position: Air flows lightly from the throat.
Example words
- 하루 · haru · day
- 하늘 · haneul · sky
- 행복 · haengbok · happiness
If you can sigh, you can say ㅎ. It’s usually one of the easiest consonants for English speakers.
3. Practice: combine the 10 consonants with ㅏ (a)
Before learning all the Korean vowels, you can already train your “pronunciation map reading skills” using the basic vowel ㅏ (a), similar to the a in “father”.
Here is a simple drill table:
| Consonant | Block | Rough pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | 가 | ga / ka |
| ㄴ | 나 | na |
| ㄷ | 다 | da / ta |
| ㄹ | 라 | ra / la |
| ㅁ | 마 | ma |
| ㅂ | 바 | ba / pa |
| ㅅ | 사 | sa |
| ㅇ | 아 | a |
| ㅈ | 자 | ja |
| ㅎ | 하 | ha |
How to use this
- Read them slowly in order:
가, 나, 다, 라, 마, 바, 사, 아, 자, 하 - Then read them as one rhythm:
ga na da ra ma ba sa a ja ha - Finally, mix them up and test yourself:
- 사 → ?
- 자 → ?
- 바 → ?
Every time you read a block, imagine:
- the letter shape
- the mouth shape
- the sound you expect
You are literally reading a pronunciation map with your eyes and reproducing it with your mouth.
4. 5 common “consonant myths” to avoid
After watching a lot of English speakers learn Korean, the same misunderstandings keep coming back. Here are five to avoid:
- “ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ = g, d, b exactly.”
→ In reality, they live in the space between g/k, d/t, b/p. - “ㄹ is just R, so roll it a lot.”
→ ㄹ is a short tap, not a long roll. Think “tap and go,” not “rrrrr.” - “ㅇ is always ng.”
→ Only as a final consonant. At the start, it’s completely silent. - “ㅅ must be s or sh, pick one forever.”
→ Mostly s, but with ㅣ (i) it often sounds like sh (시 ≈ “shi”). - “Each letter should be read separately.”
→ In Hangul, one block = one syllable. Consonant + vowel (+ final consonant) is one sound unit, not three separate ones.
Keeping these myths in check will save you a lot of frustration later.
5. Making the 10 consonants truly yours
Here are a few ways to move from “I understand this article” to “My mouth actually follows the map.”
1) Combine this guide with audio
- Search on YouTube for:
“Korean basic consonants IPA” or “Hangul consonants ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ…” - Keep this article open next to the video.
- For each consonant:
- look at the letter and IPA here,
- listen to the sound there,
- repeat while watching your mouth shape in a mirror if possible.
2) Use real words, not just syllables
Don’t stop at 가, 나, 다. Practice with meaning:
- 가방 (bag), 고기 (meat), 한국 (Korea)
- 바다 (sea), 버스 (bus), 밥 (meal)
When a letter is attached to a real word and a real meaning, your motivation goes up, and your memory gets stronger.
3) Turn K-dramas into a reading game
When watching K-dramas with Korean subtitles on:
- Pick one consonant (for example, ㄱ).
- Pause sometimes and scan the subtitle line.
- Try to find all the syllables that contain ㄱ.
- Read them out loud and guess their meaning if you recognize the word.
You’re training your eyes to read the “pronunciation map” quickly in real content, not just in textbooks.
6. Wrap-up & what’s next
In this guide, you:
- met the 10 core Korean consonants – ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅎ
- saw how each one is actually a visual map of your mouth
- learned example words with Hangul, pronunciation, and English meaning
- and got some practical ideas to practice on your own.
If you can:
- recognize these 10 consonants quickly,
- roughly match their sounds using audio, and
- read basic combinations like 가, 나, 다, 라, 마, 바, 사, 아, 자, 하,
then you’ve already built a solid foundation for reading Korean.
The next natural step is to explore:
- aspirated consonants – ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ (stronger, breathier versions of ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅈ), and
- tense double consonants – ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ (tight, intense versions with a different “feel” in your mouth).
Once the basic “pronunciation maps” in this article feel familiar, those advanced consonants become much less scary—and a lot more fun to master.
