How Hangul Works: Letters and Syllable Blocks

Hangul is an alphabet

Many people think Korean writing is a set of pictures, like Chinese characters. It is not. Hangul (한글) is an alphabet. Each letter stands for one sound, just like the letters of the Latin alphabet. Hangul was created in the 15th century by King Sejong and his scholars, so that ordinary people could read and write easily.

Today Hangul has 24 basic letters: 14 consonants and 10 vowels. From these basic letters we also make double consonants (such as ㄲ) and combined vowels (such as ㅐ or ㅘ). In total you will meet 40 letter shapes, but most of them are simple variations of the 24 basic ones. Many learners can read Hangul after only a few days of practice. You can too.

Letters live inside syllable blocks

Here is the one big difference from English. In English we write letters in a long line: b-a-n-a-n-a. In Korean, the letters of one syllable are packed together into a small square, called a syllable block. Then the blocks are written in a line from left to right.

So the word for banana, 바나나, has three blocks: 바, 나, 나. Each block is one syllable, and each syllable is one beat when you speak. If you can count the blocks, you can count the beats of a word.

Every block has the same basic recipe:

1. A consonant at the start (always). 2. A vowel (always). 3. A final consonant at the bottom (sometimes). This final consonant is called batchim (받침).

In this lesson we focus on the first two parts. Batchim will come in a later lesson.

Two kinds of vowels: tall and flat

Where does the vowel go inside the block? It depends on the shape of the vowel.

Tall vowels have a long vertical line, such as ㅏ, ㅓ and ㅣ. A tall vowel stands to the right of the first consonant: ㄴ + ㅏ = 나.

Flat vowels have a long horizontal line, such as ㅗ, ㅜ and ㅡ. A flat vowel sits below the first consonant: ㄴ + ㅗ = 노.

So there are two simple block shapes: consonant-left with vowel-right, or consonant-top with vowel-bottom. When a final consonant (batchim) is added, it always goes at the very bottom of the block. The letters change size a little so that every block fits into the same square space.

The silent ㅇ

A Korean syllable block must start with a consonant. But many syllables begin with a vowel sound, like 'a' or 'o'. What can we do?

We use the circle letter ㅇ as a placeholder. At the start of a block, ㅇ has no sound at all. It just holds the place of the consonant. So ㅇ + ㅏ = 아, and you simply say 'a'. ㅇ + ㅗ = 오, and you simply say 'o'.

When ㅇ appears at the bottom of a block, as batchim, it does have a sound: 'ng', like the end of 'sing'. For example, 공 (ball) ends in 'ng'. We will practice this later. For now, remember: ㅇ at the start = silent.

A short look at the final consonant

Some blocks have three or even four letters. The extra letters at the bottom are the batchim. Look at 한 in 한글: ㅎ + ㅏ on top, and ㄴ at the bottom. And 글 is ㄱ + ㅡ on top, with ㄹ at the bottom.

You do not need to read these yet. Just notice the pattern: top part first, bottom part last. You always read a block from top-left to bottom, in the order you would write it.

How we will learn

Here is our plan for the coming lessons. First, the basic vowels, because every block needs one. Then the basic consonants, a few at a time. Then the strong (aspirated) and tight (tense) consonants, which are very important in Korean. After that, the combined vowels, the final consonants, and finally the small sound changes that make Korean sound natural.

In each lesson you will meet each letter on a card with its Korean name, its sound, and a tip for your mouth and for writing. Please say every example out loud. Reading with your eyes is good, but reading with your mouth is much better. Write each letter by hand a few times, too. Your hand helps your memory.