Learning Korean pronunciation can feel strange at first. Your mouth may not be used to some of these sounds - and that’s totally normal! Korean has a few sounds that don’t exist in English, and some sounds change depending on what’s around them.

Whether you’re just starting Hangul or trying to sound more natural when watching K-dramas, these are 10 Korean sounds beginners usually struggle with - and how to practice them easily.

1. One Letter, Three “K” Sounds: ㄱ, ㅋ, ㄲ

In Korean, the “K” sound has three versions. The difference is how much air and strength you use.

• ㄱ (g/k) – Soft and relaxed Sounds between g and k
  
• ㅋ (k) – Strong with air Put your hand in front of your mouth. You should feel air!
  
• ㄲ (kk) – Tight and strong No air. Your throat feels tense.
  

Example idea: ㄱ = calm ㅋ = windy ㄲ = powerful

2. Similar Shapes, Different Sounds: 어 (eo) vs. 오 (o)

These two vowels look alike, but your mouth shape is different.

• 어 (eo) Open your mouth. Don’t round your lips. Sounds like “uh” in up.
  
• 오 (o)To pronounce this, tound your lips into a small circle, like you do when pronouncing “oo” in “goose”, but slightly wider. Sounds like “oh”.
  

Examples: 어머니 (eomeoni) – mother  오리 (ori) – duck

3. The Special ㄹ Sound (R + L)

The Korean ㄹ is not exactly R or L. It’s somewhere in between.

How to say it:

• Lightly tap the roof of your mouth with your tongue
  
• Pull your tongue away quickly
  

Examples:  라디오 (radio)  나라  (country)

👉 No need to roll your tongue like in English “R”. It’s muc hsofter.

4. The Quiet ㅎ (H) Mistake

In some words there is a letter ㅎ, but it  sometimes disappears when speaking.

When ㅎ is at the end of a syllable and followed by a vowel, it often becomes silent.

Example:  괜찮아요 (gwaenchanhayo) Sounds more like: 괜차나요 (gwaenchanayo)

5. The Batchim “T” Rule

Batchim means the final consonant at the bottom of a syllable.

Many different letters sound the same at the end of a syllable. Letters like ㅅ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ, ㅎ all sound like ㄷ (t).

Example:  맛 (taste) Written with ㅅ, but sounds like “mat”

6. When “T” Turns into “CH”

Sometimes sounds change to make words easier to say.

When ㅌ meets 이, the sound becomes “ch”.

Example:  같이 (together) Written: gat-i Spoken: ga-chi

7. Nasal Sounds: ㄱ + ㅁ = ㅇ

When ㄱ comes before ㅁ, the ㄱ changes to ㅇ (ng).

This helps the word flow smoothly.

Example:  박물관 (museum) Sounds like: 방물관 (bangmul-gwan)

8. Sounds That “Jump” (Liaison)

If one syllable ends with a consonant and the next starts with a vowel (ㅇ), the consonant moves over.

Example:  국이 (soup) Spoken as: 구기 (gugi)

Think of it as the sound jumping into an empty seat.

9. Double Consonants = Strong Sounds

These letters are called tense (fortis) consonants:

ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ

To say them:

• Use more strength
• Tighten your mouth or throat
• No extra air

Example: 아빠 (dad) The ㅃ sounds stronger than a regular ㅂ

10. The Flat Vowel 으 (eu)

This vowel is tricky for English speakers.

How to say 으:

• Pull your lips sideways (no rounding!)
• Keep your mouth flat
• Make the sound deep in your throat

Example: 으로 (euro) – to / toward

👉 Do NOT pucker your lips.

Easy Way to Remember

Think of Korean syllables like building blocks. Each block has a shape, but when you put them together, the edges change so they fit better.

Pronunciation rules are just the glue that helps the blocks connect smoothly.

Practice slowly, listen often, and don’t stress about being perfect. Even native speakers learned this step by step - just like you 💪🇰🇷