Want to learn how to read the Korean alphabet in a day?
Here’s a breakdown of the Korean alphabet chart to help you get started.
Quick Summary
- The Korean alphabet is Hangul, created by King Sejong.
- Hangul has 24 basic letters of 14 consonants and 10 vowels.
- To form a syllable, you combine consonants and vowels.
What Is the Korean Alphabet?
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, is a unique and scientifically designed writing system.
Hangul has 24 basic phonetic symbols: 14 consonants and 10 vowels.
We combine them to form new shapes like building a house.
When written, these letters are grouped into syllabic blocks, making Hangul function both as an alphabetic and syllabic script.
The letter shapes reflect how sounds are produced. So, Hangul is simple, logical, and efficient, making it one of the easiest alphabets to learn. That’s the reason why Korea’s literacy rate for adults is 98.8% according to UNESCO.
What makes Hangul even more remarkable is that it was entirely created from scratch, not based on Egyptian hieroglyphs or Chinese characters.
It was invented by King Sejong the Great and his scholars in 1443 and officially published in 1446 under the name Hunminjeongeum (“The Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People“).
What Are the Basic Consonants and Vowels?
In the chart above, you can see the 14 basic consonants in the first column and 10 basic vowels in the first row.
Consonants
The 14 basic consonants are: ㄱ (g), ㄴ (n), ㄷ (d), ㄹ (l/r), ㅁ (m), ㅂ (b), ㅅ (s), ㅇ (ng/silent), ㅈ (j), ㅊ (ch), ㅋ (k), ㅌ (t), ㅍ (p), ㅎ (h)
Vowels
The 10 basic vowels are: ㅏ (a), ㅑ (ya), ㅓ (eo), ㅕ (yeo), ㅗ (o), ㅛ (yo), ㅜ (u), ㅠ (yu), ㅡ (eu), ㅣ (ee)
Vowels can also be combined to form complex vowels, such as: ㅐ (ae), ㅒ (yae), ㅔ (e), ㅖ (ye), ㅘ (wa), ㅙ (wae), ㅚ (oe), ㅝ (wo), ㅞ (we), ㅟ (wee), ㅢ (ui)
What Is the Structure of Hangul?
The Korean syllable block is like building a square little house, quite different from a linear sequence like the Latin alphabet.
Using consonants and vowels, you combine them into a syllable block.
Each block represents one syllable, and it follows specific structural rules based on the combination of consonants (C) and vowels (V).
Basic Structure of a Hangul Syllable Block
Each Hangul syllable is made up of:
- An initial consonant (C) – Required in all syllables.
- A vowel (V) – Required in all syllables.
- An optional final consonant (C) – Some syllables end with an additional consonant.
Common Hangul Syllable Structures
1. C + V (Consonant + Vowel)
- The consonant is placed on the left, and the vowel is placed on the right.
- This happens when the vowel is a vertical shape (ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅣ).
- Example:
- 가 (ga) → ㄱ (C) + ㅏ (V) = It means “go”
- 너 (neo) → ㄴ (C) + ㅓ (V) = It means “you”
2. C (on top) + V (on bottom)
- The consonant is placed on top, and the vowel is placed below.
- This happens when the vowel is a horizontal shape (ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ).
- Example:
- 소 (so) → ㅅ (C) + ㅗ (V) = It means “cow”
- 그 (geu) → ㄱ (C) + ㅡ (V) = It means “he” or “that”
3. C + V + C (Final consonant at the bottom)
- A final consonant, known as batchim, is placed at the bottom.
- Example:
- 산 (san) → ㅅ (C) + ㅏ (V) + ㄴ (C) = It means “mountain”
- 돌 (dol) → ㄷ (C) + ㅗ (V) + ㄹ (C) = It means “stone”
4. C + V + C + C (Double final consonants)
- Some syllables have double final consonants, which means two consonants appear at the bottom.
- Example:
- 닭 (dak) → ㄷ (C) + ㅏ (V) + ㄹ (C) + ㄱ (C) = It means “chicken”
- 삶 (salm) → ㅅ (C) + ㅏ (V) + ㄹ (C) + ㅁ (C) = It means “life”
Summary of Hangul Structures
| Structure | Example | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| C + V | 가 (ga) | ㄱ + ㅏ |
| C + V | 고 (go) | ㄱ + ㅗ |
| C + V + C | 한 (han) | ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ |
| C + V + C + C | 닭 (dak) | ㄷ + ㅏ + ㄹ + ㄱ |
Why Learn Hangul?
Learning Hangul is the first step to mastering the Korean language.
Understanding it can enhance your appreciation for Korean culture, literature, and history.
By familiarizing yourself with the Korean alphabet chart, you’ll be able to read and write Korean, opening doors to deeper communication.
The Korean alphabet chart is your gateway to learning Korean.
Start practicing today, and you’ll be able to understand the world of Korean language and culture.
