How to read Hangul, the Korean alphabet

What Hangul is and where it came from

Hangul writes Korean sounds in syllable blocks. A block represents a syllable, not a word or an idea. Created under King Sejong, the alphabet was announced in 1446 as Hunminjeongeum. South Korea celebrates Hangul Day on 9 October.

Start with the 24 basic letters below. There are also doubled consonants and compound vowels. Recognising letters helps you read words; understanding them takes vocabulary and grammar too.

The readings follow Revised Romanisation, which writes Korean in Latin letters. They are not English spelling instructions: eo is one vowel, and ch is one consonant. Listen to recordings rather than guessing from English.

The 14 basic consonants

Consonants can sound different depending on their position and neighbouring sounds. Revised Romanisation writes ㄱ, ㄷ and ㅂ as g, d and b before a vowel, but k, t and p before another consonant or at the end of a word. ㄹ can be r or l. These are not exact copies of English sounds.

At the start of a block, ㅇ is silent; at the bottom, it represents ng. Use the chart to identify letters, then listen for sound changes.

The 10 basic vowels

Every syllable needs a vowel. Vertical vowels ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ and ㅣ sit to the right of the initial consonant; horizontal vowels ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ and ㅡ sit underneath. A final consonant sits at the bottom.

Keep eo, o and eu separate. Romanised eo is one vowel, not e followed by o; eu is also one vowel. English does not provide an exact match for every Korean vowel. Listen to a recording contrasting 어, 오 and 으.

Build a syllable and read your first word

A syllable has an initial consonant, a vowel and sometimes a final consonant, called 받침 (batchim). Read them in that order. In 한, ㅎ sits left of ㅏ, with ㄴ below: 한 = ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ, read han.

In 글, ㄱ sits above ㅡ, with ㄹ below: 글 = ㄱ + ㅡ + ㄹ, read geul. Together, 한글 is hangeul, the alphabet’s name: two blocks, two syllables.

Use silent initial ㅇ before a vowel sound: 아 = ㅇ + ㅏ is a; 오 = ㅇ + ㅗ is o. In 강, final ㅇ is sounded: ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅇ gives gang. Later, learn how final consonants interact with the next block.

1. Look for the vowel: is it beside the initial consonant or underneath?
2. Read 한 and 글 separately, then say 한글 together.
3. Listen to 한글 and compare the recording with what you read.

Try writing a nickname in Hangul

Choose a nickname rather than your full name. Say it aloud, divide it into sounds and make syllable blocks. Represent its sound instead of replacing each Latin letter.

Momo can be written 모모: each 모 has ㅁ above ㅗ. English Sam is commonly 샘, using ㅐ, a vowel beyond this chart. Some names need letters you have not learnt yet.

Names from other languages may have several possible Hangul spellings. Ask a willing Korean-speaking friend which sounds closest, and use the name you prefer. Practise reading and writing it.

Use a little Hangul in a pen pal letter

Try 안녕하세요, a polite “Hello”, followed by a sentence you understand. Write the rest in a language you both know. Check the meaning before copying unfamiliar Korean.

Practise the greeting on free letter paper, then use it in a Sea Pals letter. Mochi looks for pen pals who share your interests and languages. Ask if your friend would like to help with a word you are learning.