Getting Started with Hangul: The Korean Alphabet
Getting Started with Hangul
Hangul (한글) is one of the most scientific and logical writing systems ever created. Invented by King Sejong the Great in 1443, it was designed so that anyone could learn to read and write — and you can too.
Why Hangul is Easier Than You Think
Unlike Chinese characters or Japanese kanji, Hangul is an alphabet. It has just 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels. These combine into syllable blocks that are surprisingly intuitive once you understand the system.
The beauty of Hangul is that each letter represents a single sound, and the shapes of the letters actually hint at how your mouth should form them.
The Basic Consonants
Here are the 14 basic consonants:
| Letter | Sound | Name |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | g/k | 기역 (giyeok) |
| ㄴ | n | 니은 (nieun) |
| ㄷ | d/t | 디귿 (digeut) |
| ㄹ | r/l | 리을 (rieul) |
| ㅁ | m | 미음 (mieum) |
| ㅂ | b/p | 비읍 (bieup) |
| ㅅ | s | 시옷 (siot) |
| ㅇ | ng/silent | 이응 (ieung) |
| ㅈ | j | 지읒 (jieut) |
| ㅊ | ch | 치읓 (chieut) |
| ㅋ | k | 키읔 (kieuk) |
| ㅌ | t | 티읕 (tieut) |
| ㅍ | p | 피읖 (pieup) |
| ㅎ | h | 히읗 (hieut) |
The Basic Vowels
And the 10 basic vowels:
| Letter | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | a (as in "father") | 아 (a) |
| ㅑ | ya | 야 (ya) |
| ㅓ | eo (as in "bus") | 어 (eo) |
| ㅕ | yeo | 여 (yeo) |
| ㅗ | o (as in "go") | 오 (o) |
| ㅛ | yo | 요 (yo) |
| ㅜ | u (as in "blue") | 우 (u) |
| ㅠ | yu | 유 (yu) |
| ㅡ | eu (no English equivalent) | 으 (eu) |
| ㅣ | i (as in "see") | 이 (i) |
How Syllable Blocks Work
Korean is written in syllable blocks, not individual letters strung together. Each block contains 2-4 letters arranged in a specific pattern:
Pattern 1: Consonant + Vowel (CV)
- 가 = ㄱ + ㅏ (ga)
- 나 = ㄴ + ㅏ (na)
Pattern 2: Consonant + Vowel + Consonant (CVC)
- 한 = ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ (han)
- 글 = ㄱ + ㅡ + ㄹ (geul)
So 한글 (Hangul) = 한 (han) + 글 (geul) — two syllable blocks, six individual letters.
Try It Yourself
Now that you know the basics, try reading these common Korean words:
- 사랑 (sarang) — love
- 한국 (hanguk) — Korea
- 학교 (hakgyo) — school
- 감사 (gamsa) — gratitude
Practice on Chamelingo
On Chamelingo, Chapter 1 covers Hangul from scratch with interactive exercises. You'll practice recognizing letters, building syllable blocks, and reading simple words — all with instant feedback and audio pronunciation.
Our curriculum starts with Hangul because it's the foundation for everything else. Master it first, and every other aspect of Korean becomes more accessible.
Once you're comfortable with Hangul, explore our free interactive grammar reference to start learning sentence patterns, or browse vocabulary by unit to build your word bank.