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Dec 6, 2025

3 pages

Learn to Read Hangul the Easy Way

Kiki @kikiwikii

Learning to read Hangul (the Korean alphabet) is way easier than you might think! This guide breaks down... Show more

# Reading Hangul but the Easy not Complicated Way

I know that I am most likely late to this and this should have been the first thing that

Basic Consonants and Syllables

Korean letters often look like the things they sound like! Here are the basic consonants with visual memory aids

The basic consonants include "Bucket" ㅂ (b sound), "Door" ㄷ (d sound), "Gun" ㄱ (g sound), and "Nose" ㄴ (n sound). Think of these shapes as little pictures that help you remember their sounds.

When you add the vowel "ㅣ" (which sounds like "ee"), you can make simple syllables 이 (ee), 비 (bee), 디 (dee), and 기 (gi). These are your first Korean syllables!

Try This! Cover up the romanization and practice saying each consonant out loud. Then try combining them with the vowel "ㅣ" to make your first Korean syllables.

Remember that Korean is written in syllable blocks, not as individual letters in a row like English. Each syllable combines consonants and vowels into one unit.

More Letters and Vowels

Korean has pairs of similar consonants ㄱ/ㅋ $g/k$ , ㄷ/ㅌ $d/t$ , and ㅅ/ㅈ/ㅊ $s/j/ch$ . The second letter in each pair is a stronger version of the same sound.

The basic vowels are super important ㅓ (uh), ㅏ (ah), ㅔ (eh), ㅣ (ee), and ㅗ (oh). Notice how some vowels point left or right, while others point up or down – this helps you remember them!

Some consonants change their sound when placed at the end of a syllable. For example, ㅇ makes an "ng" sound when it's at the end, and ㄹ makes an "l" sound at the end.

Remember Double consonants (like ㅂㅂ) are just stressed versions of the regular sound. It's like saying the sound with more emphasis!

When you see two vowels together, they blend to create a new sound. This usually adds a "w" sound to the vowel that follows.

Vowel Combinations and Y-Sounds

When you double up vowels in Korean, you blend the sounds together. For example, 어ㅏ sounds like "wa" (water). Other combinations include 외 (wet), 왜 (wag), 위 (we), and 워 (wonder).

Adding a "y" sound to vowels creates another important group 여 (yuh), 야 (yah), 예 (yeh), 애 (yak), 요 (yo), and 유 (you). These are super common in Korean words.

With just these basic letters and combinations, you can actually read most Korean text! It might be slow at first, but with practice, you'll get faster.

Congratulations! You now know the basics of reading Hangul! Try reading Korean signs, food menus, or K-pop lyrics to practice your new skill.

Remember that learning to read doesn't mean you understand everything yet – that comes with vocabulary building. But being able to sound out words is a huge first step!

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Dec 6, 2025

•

3 pages

Learn to Read Hangul the Easy Way

Kiki

@kikiwikii

Learning to read Hangul (the Korean alphabet) is way easier than you might think! This guide breaks down the Korean characters into simple, memorable shapes and sounds so you can start reading Korean text quickly.

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Basic Consonants and Syllables

Korean letters often look like the things they sound like! Here are the basic consonants with visual memory aids:

The basic consonants include "Bucket" ㅂ (b sound), "Door" ㄷ (d sound), "Gun" ㄱ (g sound), and "Nose" ㄴ (n sound). Think of these shapes as little pictures that help you remember their sounds.

When you add the vowel "ㅣ" (which sounds like "ee"), you can make simple syllables: 이 (ee), 비 (bee), 디 (dee), and 기 (gi). These are your first Korean syllables!

Try This! Cover up the romanization and practice saying each consonant out loud. Then try combining them with the vowel "ㅣ" to make your first Korean syllables.

Remember that Korean is written in syllable blocks, not as individual letters in a row like English. Each syllable combines consonants and vowels into one unit.

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

More Letters and Vowels

Korean has pairs of similar consonants: ㄱ/ㅋ $g/k$ , ㄷ/ㅌ $d/t$ , and ㅅ/ㅈ/ㅊ $s/j/ch$ . The second letter in each pair is a stronger version of the same sound.

The basic vowels are super important: ㅓ (uh), ㅏ (ah), ㅔ (eh), ㅣ (ee), and ㅗ (oh). Notice how some vowels point left or right, while others point up or down – this helps you remember them!

Some consonants change their sound when placed at the end of a syllable. For example, ㅇ makes an "ng" sound when it's at the end, and ㄹ makes an "l" sound at the end.

Remember: Double consonants (like ㅂㅂ) are just stressed versions of the regular sound. It's like saying the sound with more emphasis!

When you see two vowels together, they blend to create a new sound. This usually adds a "w" sound to the vowel that follows.

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Vowel Combinations and Y-Sounds

When you double up vowels in Korean, you blend the sounds together. For example, 어ㅏ sounds like "wa" (water). Other combinations include 외 (wet), 왜 (wag), 위 (we), and 워 (wonder).

Adding a "y" sound to vowels creates another important group: 여 (yuh), 야 (yah), 예 (yeh), 애 (yak), 요 (yo), and 유 (you). These are super common in Korean words.

With just these basic letters and combinations, you can actually read most Korean text! It might be slow at first, but with practice, you'll get faster.

Congratulations! You now know the basics of reading Hangul! Try reading Korean signs, food menus, or K-pop lyrics to practice your new skill.

Remember that learning to read doesn't mean you understand everything yet – that comes with vocabulary building. But being able to sound out words is a huge first step!