Hangul (Korean Alphabet) & Syllables

The videos below will help you on your way to reading in Korean. We recommend taking some notes and learning in chunks. Do not watch the whole video until you have remembered the characters.

How about learning by association? This is the best way. Look at the image below. You can visualise letters this way so you can remember them better. Look at the letter B in Korean. It looks like a young men on the BED. Maybe a bunk bed. Anyhow, next time you see this letter, think of this image.

Here is Part 2 of the video. It will help you learn how to read in Korean.

History of the Korean Alphabet

Before the invention of Hangul, there was no form of Korean writing. Using Chinese characters mixed with Korean sounds was the only way for people to write. However, that was very a complicated process. And only the wealthy few could learn how to do it. This meant that most Koreans were illiterate. 

King Sejong, who ruled Korea at the time, wanted to unify the language and make writing accessible to all. In 1446 he created a writing system that matched the sounds of Korean. And thus Hangul was born. The word Hangul means “great script” or “Korean script”.  This writing system is used in both North and South Korea, but its name in North Korea is chosongul.

There are 24 letters in the Hangul alphabet: 14 consonants and 10 vowels. Unlike English, where you write from left to write, in Korean, you stack the letters to create syllables. Each square block creates each syllable. And when you put several of these small blocks of sounds together, you create the words.

Ways to Make Your Korean Reading Practice More Effective

Once you have your Korean reading materials ready, there are a few tricks you can use to make the most out of your reading practice:

• Learn Hangul: This is the first step to learning Korean. Reading Romanised Korean won’t get you very far. Fortunately, you can learn Hangul very easily, in only 20 minutes by watching the videos above that our teacher created for you.
• Bilingual Reading Exercises: You can practice your Korean reading skills with high-intensity bilingual reading exercises. If you have a text in both English, and Korean, you can translate in both directions and discover new vocabulary.
• Read for Fun: The best Korean reading practice is the one you enjoy. Read for pleasure, whether it’s a Korean news article or a work of fiction. Casual reading will always benefit you.
• Make It a Habit: No matter what you read, your Korean reading practice needs to happen regularly. And you should also do it when it feels right. If you feel more focused in the morning, then start your day with some Korean reading practice. If you’d rather unwind at the end of the day, spend your evenings with a Korean book. You’ll be more compelled to do it if you feel like you’re progressing.
• Don’t Just Read: It’s important to note that Korean fluency doesn’t come exclusively from reading. Complement your reading with listening, speaking, and writing skills. And you need to improve all four of these skills to reach Korean fluency.