Appendix:Korean pronunciation

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AP:pron:ko

See Korean phonology at Wikipedia for a thorough look at the sounds of Korean.

This page uses the Revised Romanization (the official South Korean Korean language romanization system) unless noted otherwise.

Consonants
IPA	Examples	English approximation
p	불 bul	spill
b^[1]	아버지 abeoji	about
p̚^[2]	밥 bap	cup
p͈	뿔 ppul	like spill but with a stronger articulation
pʰ	풀 pul	pill
m	물 mul	mill
t	달 dal	star
d^[1]	어디 eodi	debt
t̚^[2]	옷 ot	shut
t͈	딸 ttal	like star but with a stronger articulation
tʰ	탈 tal	tall
n	날 nal	no
ɲ^[3]	십 년 simnyeon	new
tɕ^[4]	자다 jada	roughly like posture
dʑ^[1]^[4]	의자 uija	roughly like jack
t͈ɕ^[4]	짜다 jjada	roughly like posture but with a stronger articulation
tɕʰ^[4]	차다 chada	roughly like chill
k	가 ga	skull
ɡ^[1]	한국 Hanguk	again
k̚^[2]	백두산 Baekdusan	pick
k͈	까 kka	like skull but with a stronger articulation
kʰ	카 ka	car
kx^[5]	크다 keuda	skull followed by Scottish English loch
kç^[5]	키우다 kiuda	queue
ŋ	방 bang	sing, English
sʰ^[6]	살 sal	roughly like sing
ɕʰ^[6]^[7]	신라 Silla	roughly like ship
ʃʰ^[6]^[7]	쉬다 swida	roughly like schwa
s͈	쌀 ssal	roughly like sing but with a stronger articulation
ɕ͈^[7]	씨름 ssireum	roughly like ship but with a stronger articulation
ʃ͈^[7]	쒸 sswi	roughly like schwa but with a stronger articulation
ɭ^[8]	발 bal, 밀랍 millap	roughly like RP light
ɾ^[8]	로동 rodong, 일흔 ilheun, 바람 baram	Scottish English through, GA latter, ladder
ʎ^[3]^[8]	천리마 Cheollima	Ljubljana
h^[9]	하다 hada	help
ɸ^[9]	황제 hwangje	hope, Southern American English white
x^[9]	흠결 heumgyeol	Scottish English loch
ç^[9]	향 hyang	huge
ɦ^[9]	좋아하다 joahada	like help but weaker
β^[9]	아홉 ahop	like hope or Southern American English white but weaker
ɣ^[9]	함흥 hamheung	like Scottish English loch but weaker
ʝ^[9]	영향 yeonghyang	like huge but weaker

Vowels
IPA	Examples	English approximation
Monophthongs
a	말 mal	GA lot
ʌ̹	벌 beol	cut
o	보리 bori	GA short
u	구리 guri	fool
ɯ	어른 eoreun	somewhat like book
i	이름 ireum	seat
ɛ̝^[10]	태양 taeyang	bet
e̞^[10]	베개 begae	Scottish English sate
ø	교회 gyohoe	somewhat like RP hurl
y	쥐 jwi	ruin
Semivowels^[11]
j	여자 yeoja	yes
w	왕 wang	water
ɰ^[12]	의자 uija	somewhat like the first part of write
ɥ	위하다 wihada	somewhat like we
Suprasegmentals
ː	귀신 kwīsin^[13]	long vowel^[14]
ˈ		words stress^[15]

Overall Korean phonemically has these vowels and diphthongs and consonants:

ㄱ /k/, ㄲ /k͈/, ㄴ /n/, ㄷ /t/, ㄸ /t͈/, ㄹ /l/, ㅁ /m/, ㅂ /p/, ㅃ /p͈/, ㅅ /s/, ㅆ /s͈/, ㅇ /ŋ/, ㅈ /tɕ/, ㅉ /t͈ɕ/, ㅊ /tɕʰ/, ㅋ /kʰ/, ㅌ /tʰ/, ㅍ /pʰ/, ㅎ /h/ (all of which, except for ㅇ /ŋ/, are allowed at the beginning of a phonemic syllable)
ㅏ /a/, ㅐ /ɛ/, ㅑ /ja/, ㅒ /jɛ/, ㅓ /ʌ/, ㅔ /e/, ㅕ /jʌ/, ㅖ /je/, ㅗ /o/, ㅘ /wa/, ㅙ /wɛ/, ㅚ /ø/, ㅛ /jo/, ㅜ /u/, ㅝ /wʌ/, ㅞ /we/, ㅟ /y/, ㅠ /ju/, ㅡ /ɯ/, ㅢ /ɰi/, ㅣ /i/

Only seven consonants are allowed at the end of a phonemic syllable: ㄱ /k/, ㄴ /n/, ㄷ /t/, ㄹ /l/, ㅁ /m/, ㅂ /p/, ㅇ /ŋ/; all other consonants and clusters assimilate into these ones. Inside a word each one of these consonants can be followed by another consonant, allowing for 95 consonant clusters:

ㄱㄲ /kk͈/, ㄱㄸ /kt͈/, ㄱㅃ /kp͈/, ㄱㅆ /ks͈/, ㄱㅉ /kt͈ɕ/, ㄱㅊ /ktɕʰ/, ㄱㅋ /kkʰ/, ㄱㅌ /ktʰ/, ㄱㅍ /kpʰ/
ㄷㄲ /tk͈/, ㄷㄸ /tt͈/, ㄷㅃ /tp͈/, ㄷㅆ /ts͈/, ㄷㅉ /tt͈ɕ/, ㄷㅊ /ttɕʰ/, ㄷㅋ /tkʰ/, ㄷㅌ /ttʰ/, ㄷㅍ /tpʰ/
ㅂㄲ /pk͈/, ㅂㄸ /pt͈/, ㅂㅃ /pp͈/, ㅂㅆ /ps͈/, ㅂㅉ /pt͈ɕ/, ㅂㅊ /ptɕʰ/, ㅂㅋ /pkʰ/, ㅂㅌ /ptʰ/, ㅂㅍ /ppʰ/
ㅇㄱ /ŋk/, ㅇㄲ /ŋk͈/, ㅇㄴ /ŋn/, ㅇㄷ /ŋt/, ㅇㄸ /ŋt͈/, ㅇㅁ /ŋm/, ㅇㅂ /ŋp/, ㅇㅃ /ŋp͈/, ㅇㅅ /ŋs/, ㅇㅆ /ŋs͈/, ㅇㅈ /ŋtɕ/, ㅇㅉ /ŋt͈ɕ/, ㅇㅊ /ŋtɕʰ/, ㅇㅋ /ŋkʰ/, ㅇㅌ /ŋtʰ/, ㅇㅍ /ŋpʰ/, ㅇㅎ /ŋh/
ㄴㄱ /nk/, ㄴㄲ /nk͈/, ㄴㄴ /nn/, ㄴㄷ /nt/, ㄴㄸ /nt͈/, ㄴㅁ /nm/, ㄴㅂ /np/, ㄴㅃ /np͈/, ㄴㅅ /ns/, ㄴㅆ /ns͈/, ㄴㅈ /ntɕ/, ㄴㅉ /nt͈ɕ/, ㄴㅊ /ntɕʰ/, ㄴㅋ /nkʰ/, ㄴㅌ /ntʰ/, ㄴㅍ /npʰ/, ㄴㅎ /nh/
ㄹㄱ /lk/, ㄹㄲ /lk͈/, ㄹㄹ /ll/, ㄹㄷ /lt/, ㄹㄸ /lt͈/, ㄹㅁ /lm/, ㄹㅂ /lp/, ㄹㅃ /lp͈/, ㄹㅅ /ls/, ㄹㅆ /ls͈/, ㄹㅈ /ltɕ/, ㄹㅉ /lt͈ɕ/, ㄹㅊ /ltɕʰ/, ㄹㅋ /lkʰ/, ㄹㅌ /ltʰ/, ㄹㅍ /lpʰ/, ㄹㅎ /lh/
ㅁㄱ /mk/, ㅁㄲ /mk͈/, ㅁㄴ /mn/, ㅁㄷ /mt/, ㅁㄸ /mt͈/, ㅁㅁ /mm/, ㅁㅂ /mp/, ㅁㅃ /mp͈/, ㅁㅅ /ms/, ㅁㅆ /ms͈/, ㅁㅈ /mtɕ/, ㅁㅉ /mt͈ɕ/, ㅁㅊ /mtɕʰ/, ㅁㅋ /mkʰ/, ㅁㅌ /mtʰ/, ㅁㅍ /mpʰ/, ㅁㅎ /mh/

All other clusters assimilate into these ones. The clusters ㄱㄲ /kk͈/, ㄱㅋ /kkʰ/, ㄷㄸ /tt͈/, ㄷㅆ /ts͈/, ㄷㅉ /tt͈ɕ/, ㄷㅊ /ttɕʰ/, ㄷㅌ /ttʰ/, ㅂㅃ /pp͈/, ㅂㅍ /ppʰ/, ㄴㄴ /nn/, ㄹㄹ /ll/ and ㅁㅁ /mm/ can be considered as double consonants ㄱㄲ /k͈ː/, ㄱㅋ /kːʰ/, ㄷㄸ /t͈ː/, ㄷㅆ /s͈ː/, ㄷㅉ /t͈ɕː/, ㄷㅊ /tɕːʰ/, ㄷㅌ /tːʰ/, ㅂㅃ /p͈ː/, ㅂㅍ /pːʰ/, ㄴㄴ /nː/, ㄹㄹ /lː/ and ㅁㅁ /mː/.

Notes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 When plain stops and affricates /p t tɕ k/ are followed by a vowel and preceded by a sonorant (vowel or /n l m ŋ/), they get voiced to [b d dʑ ɡ].
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 When plain stops /p t k/ are not followed by a vowel, they are not released [p̚ t̚ k̚].
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 The dental sonorants /n l/ are usually palatalized to [ɲ ʎ] before /i/ and especially before /j/. In South Korea [ɲ ʎ] at the beginning of a word are usually dropped in native and Sino-Korean words and this is reflected in spelling.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 The palatal affricates [tɕ dʑ t͈ɕ tɕʰ] are non-palatal in North Korea, so there they are [ts dz t͈s tsʰ].
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 /kʰ/ followed by /i/ or /j/ is palatalized to [cç], /kʰ/ followed by /ɯ/ is pronounced as [kx].
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 The dental fricative /s/ and its allophones are aspirated [sʰ ɕʰ ʃʰ].
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 The dental fricatives /s s͈/ are palatalized to [ɕʰ ɕ͈] before /i/ and /j/ and to [ʃʰ ʃ͈] before /y/ and [ɥ], although [ʃ͈] is a very marginal sound. In North Korea it may happen that this palatalization does not occur at all.
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 The dental approximant /l/ is pronounced [ɾ] when it is followed by a vowel or /h/, it is pronounced [ɭ] otherwise. /ll/ is always pronounced [ɭɭ] depending on the following vowel. At the beginning of a words it is [ɾ] although [ɭ] are also possible depending on the speaker. [ɭ] is palatalized to [ʎ] before /i/ and /j/.
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 ^9.4 ^9.5 ^9.6 ^9.7 The aspirated /h/ and is pronounced [ɸ] before /u o w/, [x] before /ɯ/, [ç] before /i/ and /j/ and [h] otherwise. Between two sonorants (vowels or /n l m ŋ/) all these allophones become voiced (respectively [β ɣ ʝ ɦ]) or /h/ is just dropped.
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 Nowadays /e/ and /ɛ/ are only distinguished in spelling, but have merged phonetically.
^ Semivowels can only come before vowels. All the semivowels coming after the vowels have been assimilated into the preceding vowel throughout the centuries.
^ The semivowel /ɰ/ only occurs in the diphthong /ɰi/. Usually inside a word /ɰ/ is dropped so the diphthong merges with /i/ triggering all the sound changes that it usually triggers.
^ Yale romanization
^ Vowel length is no longer realized in Seoul Korean speech, except by some elder speakers. Vowel length has also never existed in the eastern dialects, where a pitch accent is the predominant prosodic feature. Vowel length is not shown in word spelling.
^ Word stress is very weak; pitch accent is more relevant.

[voiced-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 When plain stops and affricates /p t tɕ k/ are followed by a vowel and preceded by a sonorant (vowel or /n l m ŋ/), they get voiced to [b d dʑ ɡ].

[unreleased-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 When plain stops /p t k/ are not followed by a vowel, they are not released [p̚ t̚ k̚].

[nly-3] 3.0 ^3.1 The dental sonorants /n l/ are usually palatalized to [ɲ ʎ] before /i/ and especially before /j/. In South Korea [ɲ ʎ] at the beginning of a word are usually dropped in native and Sino-Korean words and this is reflected in spelling.

[affricates-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 The palatal affricates [tɕ dʑ t͈ɕ tɕʰ] are non-palatal in North Korea, so there they are [ts dz t͈s tsʰ].

[kh-5] 5.0 ^5.1 /kʰ/ followed by /i/ or /j/ is palatalized to [cç], /kʰ/ followed by /ɯ/ is pronounced as [kx].

[s-6] 6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 The dental fricative /s/ and its allophones are aspirated [sʰ ɕʰ ʃʰ].

[sh-7] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 The dental fricatives /s s͈/ are palatalized to [ɕʰ ɕ͈] before /i/ and /j/ and to [ʃʰ ʃ͈] before /y/ and [ɥ], although [ʃ͈] is a very marginal sound. In North Korea it may happen that this palatalization does not occur at all.

[l-8] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 The dental approximant /l/ is pronounced [ɾ] when it is followed by a vowel or /h/, it is pronounced [ɭ] otherwise. /ll/ is always pronounced [ɭɭ] depending on the following vowel. At the beginning of a words it is [ɾ] although [ɭ] are also possible depending on the speaker. [ɭ] is palatalized to [ʎ] before /i/ and /j/.

[h-9] 9.0 ^9.1 ^9.2 ^9.3 ^9.4 ^9.5 ^9.6 ^9.7 The aspirated /h/ and is pronounced [ɸ] before /u o w/, [x] before /ɯ/, [ç] before /i/ and /j/ and [h] otherwise. Between two sonorants (vowels or /n l m ŋ/) all these allophones become voiced (respectively [β ɣ ʝ ɦ]) or /h/ is just dropped.

[ae-10] 10.0 ^10.1 Nowadays /e/ and /ɛ/ are only distinguished in spelling, but have merged phonetically.

[11] Semivowels can only come before vowels. All the semivowels coming after the vowels have been assimilated into the preceding vowel throughout the centuries.

[12] The semivowel /ɰ/ only occurs in the diphthong /ɰi/. Usually inside a word /ɰ/ is dropped so the diphthong merges with /i/ triggering all the sound changes that it usually triggers.

[13] Yale romanization

[14] Vowel length is no longer realized in Seoul Korean speech, except by some elder speakers. Vowel length has also never existed in the eastern dialects, where a pitch accent is the predominant prosodic feature. Vowel length is not shown in word spelling.

[15] Word stress is very weak; pitch accent is more relevant.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

Appendix:Korean pronunciation

Notes

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