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If you have landed on this page, you obviously have some interest in the Korean language.
You can begin learning the Korean alphabet in a short lesson. This article introduces the basic letters and simple syllable blocks; accurate pronunciation will take listening and practice.
Are you up for the challenge?
A Bit of History
Hangul (also spelled Hangeul) was created under King Sejong in 1443 and introduced in 1446 through the Hunminjeongeum. It originally had 28 letters. Before Hangul, writing in Korea relied heavily on Chinese characters and systems adapted from them, which required substantial study.
The five basic consonant shapes reflect the speech organs used to make their sounds. Other consonants were derived from these shapes. The original basic vowel symbols represented heaven, earth, and a person; not every letter was modeled on the mouth.
Hangul Day is celebrated on October 9 in South Korea. One purpose of the new script was to give people a more accessible way to write their own language. See the National Hangeul Museum’s introduction for the historical background.
Hangul (Korean Alphabet System)
Modern Hangul has 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels. Learners also study five doubled consonants and eleven additional vowe