Understanding Hangul: The Korean Alphabet Basics for English Learners

The Creation of Hangul

Hangul, the Korean alphabet, was created in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great and his scholars. Designed to promote literacy, Hangul consists of 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels.

Understanding Hangul Structure

Each Hangul character represents a syllable, which is constructed by combining consonants and vowels. They can be arranged in blocks, usually with one consonant and one vowel. Additional consonants might form upwards to four syllables in a character block.

Consonants in Hangul

• ㄱ - g or k
• ㄴ - n
• ㄷ - d or t
• ㄹ - r or l
• ㅁ - m
• ㅂ - b or p

Vowels in Hangul

• ㅏ - a
• ㅓ - eo
• ㅗ - o
• ㅜ - u
• ㅡ - eu
• ㅣ - i

Forming Syllabic Blocks

Each syllable in Hangul forms a square-like structure. For example, the word '안' (pronounced as an) comprises the consonant ㅇ (ng) and the vowel ㅏ (a), followed by the consonant ㄴ (n).

Common Phrases in Hangul

Tips for Learning Hangul