Pronunciation Guide: 발음 규칙

Stage 1 · Batchim 받침

What is Batchim? 받침이란?

A batchim (받침, literally 'support') is a consonant placed at the bottom of a Korean syllable block. For example, in the syllable 강, the ㅇ at the bottom is the batchim. Not all syllables have a batchim — many end with just the vowel. Batchim is why Korean words like 산, 달, and 밥 end with a distinct consonant sound rather than an open vowel.

The 7 Batchim Sound Groups 받침 7종성

Although many different consonants can appear as batchim in spelling, they all reduce to only 7 possible sounds when pronounced. This is known as the 7 rules of batchim (받침 7종성). Learning these 7 groups is essential — it explains why 닭 (chicken) and 국 (soup) both end with the same k sound.

• ㄱ-group: ㄱ, ㄲ, ㅋ, ㄳ, ㄺ → pronounced k (unreleased) — example: 국 (soup), 닭 (chicken)
• ㄴ-group: ㄴ, ㄵ, ㄶ → pronounced n — example: 산 (mountain), 앉다 (to sit)
• ㄷ-group: ㄷ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ, ㅎ → pronounced t (unreleased) — example: 옷 (clothes), 꽃 (flower)
• ㄹ-group: ㄹ, ㄼ, ㄽ, ㄾ, ㅀ → pronounced l — example: 달 (moon), 말 (horse)
• ㅁ-group: ㅁ, ㄻ → pronounced m — example: 밤 (night), 삶 (life)
• ㅂ-group: ㅂ, ㅍ, ㄿ, ㄼ → pronounced p (unreleased) — example: 입 (mouth), 앞 (front)
• ㅇ-group: ㅇ → pronounced ng — example: 강 (river), 방 (room)

Words and phrases

Check your understanding

ㅋ, ㄲ, and ㄳ are all batchim in the same group. Which sound group are they in?

Answer: ㄱ-group (k) (ㄴ-group (n) · ㄱ-group (k) · ㅂ-group (p) · ㄷ-group (t))

방 (room) ends with batchim ㅇ. What sound does this make?

Answer: ng (like 'sing') (No sound — ㅇ is always silent · ng (like 'sing') · n · m)

Stage 2 · Liaison 연음화

Liaison — Linking Sound 연음화

When a syllable ending in a batchim is immediately followed by a syllable that begins with the silent ㅇ, the batchim consonant moves forward and becomes the initial consonant of the next syllable. The spelling stays the same — only the pronunciation shifts. This is called liaison (연음화) and it is one of the most frequent pronunciation phenomena in Korean.

Words and phrases

Why Does Liaison Happen? 왜 연음화가 일어날까?

Korean syllable structure strongly prefers the pattern consonant + vowel. When a vowel-initial syllable follows a batchim, it is phonetically easier for the consonant to attach to that vowel's open slot. The result is a more natural, connected flow of speech. This is not slang or lazy pronunciation — it is standard Korean and will be heard in news broadcasts, formal speeches, and everyday conversation alike.

Check your understanding

Liaison (연음화) occurs when a batchim is followed by a syllable that begins with…

Answer: Silent ㅇ (vowel-initial syllable) (Any consonant · Silent ㅇ (vowel-initial syllable) · ㄴ or ㅁ only · An aspirated consonant)

한국어 (the Korean language) — how is it actually pronounced?

Answer: 한구거 (한구거 · 한국어 · 한구어 · 항구거)

Stage 3 · Assimilation 비음화

Nasal Assimilation 비음화

When a stop consonant batchim from the ㄱ, ㄷ, or ㅂ groups is followed by the nasal consonants ㄴ or ㅁ, the stop assimilates and changes to its corresponding nasal sound. This is purely articulatory: nasal consonants require the velum to lower, which pulls adjacent stops into nasal territory. The spelling stays the same; only the pronunciation changes.

• ㅂ + ㄴ/ㅁ → ㅁ: the lip-stop becomes a lip-nasal — 입니다 → 임니다
• ㄱ + ㄴ/ㅁ → ㅇ: the velar-stop becomes a velar-nasal — 국물 → 궁물
• ㄷ + ㄴ/ㅁ → ㄴ: the alveolar-stop becomes an alveolar-nasal — 걷는다 → 건는다

Words and phrases

Check your understanding

밥만 (only rice) — how is it actually pronounced?

Answer: 밤만 (밤만 · 밥만 · 방만 · 반만)

ㄱ batchim followed by ㄴ or ㅁ changes to which sound?

Answer: ㅇ (ng) (ㄴ · ㄷ · ㅇ (ng) · ㅁ)

입니다 (is / am / are) — how is it actually pronounced?

Answer: im-ni-da (ip-ni-da · im-ni-da · ib-ni-da · ip-mi-da)

The Assimilation Pattern is Always One Direction 동화 방향

Nasal assimilation always goes the same way: the stop becomes nasal, never the other way around. The nasal consonant 'infects' the preceding sound. Once you spot the pattern ㅂ→ㅁ, ㄷ→ㄴ, ㄱ→ㅇ, you will start hearing and predicting these changes automatically in real Korean speech.

Stage 4 · Tensification 경음화

Tensification 경음화

After certain batchim consonants — specifically the unreleased stop batchim sounds from the ㄱ, ㄷ, and ㅂ groups — the following consonant becomes tensed (doubled). The written form does not change; only the pronunciation shifts. Tensification is why 학교 (school) sounds like 학꾜 instead of 학교.

Words and phrases

Check your understanding

Tensification (경음화) occurs most predictably after which type of batchim?

Answer: Unreleased stop batchim (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ groups) (Nasal batchim (ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅇ) · Unreleased stop batchim (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ groups) · The ㄹ batchim only · Any batchim consonant)

학교 (school) — how is it actually pronounced?

Answer: hak-kkyo (tensed) (hak-gyo · hak-kyo (aspirated) · hak-kkyo (tensed) · ha-gyo)

ㅎ Weakening ㅎ 약화

The consonant ㅎ is one of Korean's most unstable sounds. Between vowels — whether ㅎ is a batchim or an initial consonant — it weakens significantly and often disappears almost entirely. This is why 좋아요 (it is good) sounds like 조아요 rather than 조하요. The ㅎ is still written, but the sound nearly vanishes.

Words and phrases

ㅎ + Consonant = Aspiration ㅎ 축약

When ㅎ batchim meets the next syllable's initial consonant (or vice versa), the two merge into a single aspirated consonant. ㅎ + ㄷ becomes ㅌ. ㄱ + ㅎ becomes ㅋ. ㅂ + ㅎ becomes ㅍ. ㄷ + ㅎ (or ㅎ + ㄷ) becomes ㅌ. Think of ㅎ as adding a puff of air to the adjacent consonant.

• ㅎ + ㄷ → ㅌ: 놓다 (to place) → 노타
• ㄱ + ㅎ → ㅋ: 착하다 (kind) → 차카다
• ㅂ + ㅎ → ㅍ: 입학 (enrollment) → 이팍
• ㄷ + ㅎ → ㅌ: 못해요 (can't do) → 모태요

Words and phrases

Check your understanding

What sound does ㅎ + ㄷ (or ㄷ + ㅎ) produce?

Answer: ㅌ (aspirated t) (ㄷ (plain) · ㅌ (aspirated t) · ㄸ (tensed) · ㅎ (stays h))

Stage 5 · Palatal & ㄹ 구개음화

Palatalization 구개음화

When the consonants ㄷ or ㅌ appear as batchim and are followed by the vowel 이 (i), they shift forward in the mouth and change into ㅈ and ㅊ respectively. This shift is called palatalization — the consonant moves from the tooth ridge to the palate to anticipate the front vowel 이.

• ㄷ + 이 → ㅈ이 → 지: 굳이 (deliberately) → 구지
• ㅌ + 이 → ㅊ이 → 치: 같이 (together) → 가치

Words and phrases

Check your understanding

When ㄷ batchim is followed by the vowel 이, it changes to…

Answer: ㅈ (ㄴ · ㅈ · ㅊ · ㅅ)

When ㅌ batchim is followed by the vowel 이, it changes to…

Answer: ㅊ (ㄴ · ㅈ · ㅊ · ㅅ)

The ㄹ Sound 리을

The Korean consonant ㄹ is often described as between r and l — and that is precisely correct. Its exact realisation depends on its position within the syllable. Between two vowels, ㄹ is a single fast tap of the tongue tip against the ridge just behind the upper teeth — the same motion as the flap r in American English 'butter' or 'water'. At the end of a syllable or before a consonant, hold the tongue lightly at that same ridge for a gentle l sound.

Words and phrases

ㄹ + ㄴ or ㄴ + ㄹ → ㄹㄹ 유음화

When ㄹ and ㄴ appear adjacent across syllables, they both become ㄹ — this is called lateralisation (유음화). Example: 신라 (Silla dynasty) is pronounced 실라 (silla), not sin-ra. Similarly, 연락 (contact) is pronounced 열락 (yeollak). The ㄴ fully converts to ㄹ when adjacent to ㄹ.

Check your understanding

신라 (Silla — a historical Korean kingdom) is pronounced as…

Answer: sil-la (sin-ra · sin-la · sil-la · shi-ra)

Stage 6 · Mistakes 흔한 실수

6 Common Mistakes for English Speakers 흔한 발음 실수

Korean and English have very different phonological systems. The next six steps each cover one common pronunciation error made by English speakers — with clear explanations of how to correct it. Recognising these patterns early saves months of bad habits.

Mistake 1 — Pronouncing ㅡ like 'oo' ㅡ 발음 오류

ㅡ has no English equivalent. It is a back unrounded vowel — your tongue is in the oo position but your lips are completely flat and unrounded, as if you are saying 'uh' with a stiff, spread mouth. Words like 으, 크다, 든지 all use this sound. The moment your lips round, you are producing the wrong vowel.

Mistake 2 — Treating ㅓ as English 'er' ㅓ 발음 오류

ㅓ is often transcribed as 'eo' or 'uh' — but it is not the American English 'er' which carries an r-colouring. Korean ㅓ is a mid-back unrounded vowel. Think of the British English 'uh' in 'but' or 'cup' — no rounding, no r-sound, mouth slightly open. Adding any hint of r-sound immediately makes the vowel sound foreign.

Mistake 3 — Puffing Air on Double Consonants 된소리 오류

English speakers naturally add aspiration to stop consonants. Korean tensed (doubled) consonants ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ are never aspirated. They are produced with tight muscles and no outward puff of air. Hold a piece of paper in front of your mouth — it should not move when you say 까, 따, 빠, 싸, 짜. The contrast is between tight-and-held versus pushed-out air.

Mistake 4 — Rising Intonation on All Questions 억양 오류

In English, rising intonation at the end of a sentence signals a question. In Korean, intonation rules differ: yes/no questions do use a slight rise at the end, but wh-questions (who, what, where, when, why, how) typically use a falling or neutral intonation — not rising. Overusing English-style rising intonation on all Korean questions sounds unnatural and sometimes uncertain or pleading.

Mistake 5 — ㅅ as Plain 's' before i-Vowels ㅅ 발음 오류

Before the vowels 이, 야, 여, 요, 유, the consonant ㅅ is pronounced like English 'sh'. So 시 is 'shi' not 'si', and 셔츠 (shirt) begins with 'sh'. This also applies to tensed ㅆ before 이 → 'sshi'. English speakers who learned romanization first often say 'si' when native speakers say 'shi', which is immediately noticeable.

Mistake 6 — Pronouncing the ㅎ in 좋아요 ㅎ 오류

Beginners often say 'jo-ha-yo' for 좋아요, treating ㅎ as a clearly pronounced h-sound. But due to ㅎ weakening between vowels (which you learned in Stage 4), the actual pronunciation is 조아요 (jo-a-yo) — the ㅎ nearly disappears. This applies broadly: 많아요 → 마나요, 낳아요 → 나아요. Whenever ㅎ sits between vowels in a natural speech context, it fades.

Check your understanding

When pronouncing ㅡ, your lips should be…

Answer: Flat and unrounded (spread) (Rounded like 'oo' · Flat and unrounded (spread) · Slightly open like 'ah' · Puckered like a kiss)

ㅅ before the vowel 이 sounds like…

Answer: 'sh' as in 'she' (Plain 's' as in 'see' · 'sh' as in 'she' · 'z' as in 'zero' · 't' as in 'tea')

좋아요 (it is good / I like it) is actually pronounced as…

Answer: jo-a-yo (jo-ha-yo · jo-a-yo · joh-a-yo · jo-ha)

What you have learned

Pronunciation Guide Complete! — 발음 규칙 완료!

You have mastered all 8 Korean pronunciation rules: batchim reduction, liaison, nasal assimilation, tensification, ㅎ weakening, ㅎ aspiration, palatalization, and the ㄹ sound. Plus the 6 most common mistakes English speakers make — and how to avoid them. Your Korean pronunciation will now sound far more natural.