Hangul Consonants and Vowels Explained: Complete Chart with Pronunciation

The Korean alphabet has a total of 40 letters: 19 consonants and 21 vowels. That may sound like a lot, but most of them are simple variations of a smaller set of basic letters. Once you learn the 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels, the rest follow logically.

The 14 Basic Consonants

Korean consonants are organized by the part of the mouth used to produce the sound. Many consonants come in sets of three: a plain (lax) version, an aspirated version (with a puff of air), and a tense (double) version. The table below covers the 14 basic consonants:

Notice the aspiration pattern: ㄱ (g/k) is plain, while ㅋ (k) is its aspirated counterpart — pronounced with a strong puff of air. The same relationship exists between ㄷ / ㅌ, ㅂ / ㅍ, and ㅈ / ㅊ.

The 5 Double (Tense) Consonants

Double consonants are written by repeating the base character. They produce a tense, sharp sound — harder and more clipped than the plain version, but without the puff of air that aspirated consonants have. Think of it as a "stiff" or "tight" sound:

The 10 Basic Vowels

Korean vowels are built from three elements: a vertical stroke, a horizontal stroke, and a short line. They come in natural pairs — one "bright" and one "dark" — which is a concept from Korean vowel harmony:

Note the pattern: adding a second short stroke turns a simple vowel into its "y-" version. ㅏ (a) becomes ㅑ (ya), ㅓ (eo) becomes ㅕ (yeo), and so on.

The 11 Compound Vowels

Compound vowels are formed by combining two basic vowels. Most of them produce a glide sound (like "w" or "y") followed by a vowel:

Common Pronunciation Mistakes by English Speakers

Here are the pitfalls that trip up most English-speaking learners:

• Confusing plain and aspirated consonants. English speakers tend to hear ㄱ (g/k) and ㅋ (k) as the same sound. In Korean, the difference matters: 가 (ga) and 카 (ka) are completely different syllables.
• Ignoring tense consonants. The double consonants (ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ) don't exist in English. Practice tightening your throat muscles while cutting off the airflow to produce the right sound.
• Pronouncing ㅓ (eo) as "oh." It's closer to the "u" in "but" or "cup" — not the "o" in "go." This is the single most common mistake.
• Pronouncing ㅡ (eu) as "you." Keep your lips spread and flat, not rounded. It's the sound you might make when hesitating: "uhh" but with your mouth wide and flat.
• Treating ㄹ as an English "r" or "l." Korean ㄹ is neither — it's a light tongue flap at the start of a syllable (similar to the Spanish "r" in "pero") and more like "l" at the end.
• Forgetting that final consonants change sound. Seven consonants at the end of a syllable (ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅇ) represent the only possible final sounds. Many consonants neutralize — for example, ㅅ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ all become a "t" sound in final position.

Putting It All Together

With 19 consonants and 21 vowels, Hangul can represent every sound in the Korean language. The system is remarkably consistent — each letter almost always makes the same sound, with only a handful of predictable pronunciation rules to learn.

The best way to internalize these sounds is through practice. Start by writing each letter while saying it aloud, then move on to reading simple syllable blocks and common words. Your muscle memory and ear will develop together.