Korean

ㄱ

IPA: /k/ (initial), /g/ (middle)

This character is called "기역" (Giyeok) and represents the "k" or "g" sound. It is used in words like "가방" (gabang) meaning "bag".

ㄴ

IPA: /n/

This character is called "니은" (Nieun) and represents the "n" sound. It is used in words like "나무" (namu) meaning "tree".

ㄷ

IPA: /t/ (initial), /d/ (middle)

This character is called "디귿" (Digeut) and represents the "t" or "d" sound. It is used in words like "도시" (dosi) meaning "city".

ㄹ

IPA: /ɾ/ (initial), /l/ (middle)

This character is called "리을" (Rieul) and represents the "r" or "l" sound. It is used in words like "라면" (ramyeon) meaning "noodles".

ㅁ

IPA: /m/

This character is called "미음" (Mieum) and represents the "m" sound. It is used in words like "마음" (maeum) meaning "heart" or "mind".

ㅂ

IPA: /p/ (initial), /b/ (middle)

This character is called "비읍" (Bieup) and represents the "p" or "b" sound. It is used in words like "배" (bae) meaning "pear".

ㅅ

IPA: /s/

This character is called "시옷" (Siot) and represents the "s" sound. It is used in words like "사람" (saram) meaning "person".

ㅇ

IPA: /ŋ/ (final), silent (initial)

This character is called "이응" (Ieung) and represents the "ng" sound when placed at the end of a syllable. It is used in words like "응" (eung) meaning "response".

ㅈ

IPA: /tʃ/ (initial), /dʒ/ (middle)

This character is called "지읒" (Jieut) and represents the "ch" or "j" sound. It is used in words like "자전거" (jajeongeo) meaning "bicycle".

ㅊ

IPA: /tʃʰ/ (aspirated)

This character is called "치읓" (Chieut) and represents the "ch" sound with aspiration. It is used in words like "차" (cha) meaning "car".

ㅋ

IPA: /kʰ/ (aspirated)

This character is called "키읔" (Kieuk) and represents the "k" sound with aspiration. It is used in words like "카메라" (kamera) meaning "camera".

ㅌ

IPA: /tʰ/ (aspirated)

This character is called "티읕" (Tieut) and represents the "t" sound with aspiration. It is used in words like "태양" (taeyang) meaning "sun".

ㅍ

IPA: /pʰ/ (aspirated)

This character is called "피읖" (Pieup) and represents the "p" sound with aspiration. It is used in words like "피자" (pija) meaning "pizza".

ㅎ

IPA: /h/

This character is called "히읗" (Hieut) and represents the "h" sound. It is used in words like "하늘" (haneul) meaning "sky".

ㄲ

IPA: /k͈/

This character is called "쌍기역" (Ssanggiyeok) and represents a tense version of the "k" sound. It is used in words like "껍질" (kkeopjil) meaning "skin" or "shell".

ㄸ

IPA: /t͈/

This character is called "쌍디귿" (Ssangdigeut) and represents a tense version of the "t" sound. It is used in words like "떡" (tteok) meaning "rice cake".

ㅃ

IPA: /p͈/

This character is called "쌍비읍" (Ssangbieup) and represents a tense version of the "p" sound. It is used in words like "빵" (ppang) meaning "bread".

ㅆ

IPA: /s͈/

This character is called "쌍시옷" (Sssangsiot) and represents a tense version of the "s" sound. It is used in words like "쌀" (ssal) meaning "rice".

ㅉ

IPA: /t͈ʃ/

This character is called "쌍지읒" (Ssangjieut) and represents a tense version of the "ch" sound. It is used in words like "짜장면" (jjajangmyeon) meaning "black bean paste noodles".

ㅏ

IPA: /a/

This character is called "아" (A) and represents the "ah" sound. It is used in words like "아빠" (appa) meaning "dad".

ㅓ

IPA: /ʌ/

This character is called "어" (Eo) and represents the "uh" sound. It is used in words like "어머니" (eomeoni) meaning "mother".

ㅗ

IPA: /o/

This character is called "오" (O) and represents the "oh" sound. It is used in words like "오빠" (oppa) meaning "older brother".

ㅜ

IPA: /u/

This character is called "우" (U) and represents the "oo" sound. It is used in words like "우유" (uyu) meaning "milk".

ㅡ

IPA: /ɯ/

This character is called "으" (Eu) and represents the "oo" sound as in "book". It is used in words like "으르" (eureu) meaning "elder".

ㅣ

IPA: /i/

This character is called "이" (I) and represents the "ee" sound. It is used in words like "이름" (ireum) meaning "name".

ㅑ

IPA: /ja/

Example: "야" (ya) – meaning "hey" or "child."

This character is a combination of ㅣ (i) + ㅏ (a).

ㅕ

IPA: /jʌ/

Example: "여" (yeo) – meaning "woman" or "here."

This character is a combination of ㅣ (i) + ㅓ (eo).

ㅛ

IPA: /jo/

Example: "요" (yo) – used in polite speech or meaning "this."

This character is a combination of ㅣ (i) + ㅗ (o).

ㅠ

IPA: /ju/

Example: "유" (yu) – meaning "kind" or "graceful."

This character is a combination of ㅣ (i) + ㅜ (u).

ㅐ

IPA: /ɛ/

Example: "애" (ae) – meaning "child" or "affection".

This character is a combination of ㅏ (a) and ㅣ (i), and it represents a vowel sound similar to the "e" in "bed" in English.

ㅒ

IPA: /jɛ/

Example: "얘" (yae) – meaning "that (informal)" or "child."

This character is a combination of ㅣ (i) + ㅐ (ae).

ㅔ

IPA: /e/

Example: "에" (e) – meaning "at" or "to" when used in certain contexts.

This character is a combination of ㅓ (eo) and ㅣ (i), and it represents a vowel sound similar to the "e" in "bet" in English.

ㅖ

IPA: /je/

Example: "예" (ye) – meaning "example" or "yes" (polite).

This character is a combination of ㅣ (i) + ㅔ (e).

ㅘ

IPA: /wa/

This character is a combination of ㅗ (o) + ㅏ (a), and is used in syllables like "와" (wa), meaning "come".

ㅙ

IPA: /wɛ/

This character is called "왜" (Wae) and represents the "wae" sound. It is used in words like "왜" (wae) meaning "why".

ㅚ

IPA: /we/

This character is a combination of ㅗ (o) + ㅣ (i), used in syllables like "외" (oe), meaning "outside" or "foreign".

ㅝ

IPA: /wʌ/

This character is a combination of ㅜ (u) + ㅓ (eo), used in syllables like "워" (wo), meaning "to ask" or "to summon".

ㅟ

IPA: /wi/

This character is a combination of ㅜ (u) + ㅣ (i), used in syllables like "위" (wi), meaning "up" or "above".

ㅞ

IPA: /we/

This character is a combination of ㅜ (u) + ㅔ (e), used in syllables like "웨" (we), meaning "to go" or "to move".

ㅢ

IPA: /ɯi/ or /ui/

Example: "의" (ui) – meaning "of" or "possession" in Korean grammar.

This character is a combination of ㅡ (eu) + ㅣ (i), forming a diphthong sound.