Basic Korean Consonants (기본 자음)
Learn the most common Korean consonants with clear pronunciation guides and mouth shapes. Perfect for foreign learners!
| Consonant | Romanization | Pronunciation Guide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | g / k | Back of the tongue touches the roof of the mouth. Start: ‘k’, Middle: ‘g’. | |
| ㄴ | n | Tip of tongue touches upper gums. Sounds like English ‘n’. | |
| ㄷ | d / t | Tip of tongue touches upper gums. Start: ‘t’, Middle: ‘d’. | |
| ㄹ | r / l | Tip of tongue lightly touches gums and vibrates. Start: ‘r’, Middle: ‘l’. | |
| ㅁ | m | Lips closed. Sounds like English ‘m’. | |
| ㅂ | b / p | Lips closed. Start: ‘p’, Middle: ‘b’. | |
| ㅅ | s | Tip of tongue near upper gums. ‘s’ sound. ‘시’ = ‘shi’. | |
| ㅇ | ng / (silent) | Silent at the start, ‘ng’ at the end. | |
| ㅈ | j | Tip of tongue touches upper gums and releases. Like English ‘j’. | |
| ㅊ | ch | Like ㅈ but stronger burst. English ‘ch’. | |
| ㅋ | k | Strong ‘k’ sound, push air out. Start only. | |
| ㅌ | t | Stronger ‘t’ than ㄷ. Start only. | |
| ㅍ | p | Stronger ‘p’ than ㅂ. Lips burst the air. | |
| ㅎ | h | Exhale from throat. Like English ‘h’. |