What is Hangul? (한글)
Hangul is the Korean alphabet, created in the 15th century. It is made of consonants (자음 ja-eum) and vowels (모음 mo-eum). Unlike many writing systems, Hangul was designed to be logical and easy to learn. Letters are combined into syllable blocks to form words.
The 14 Basic Hangul Consonants (자음)
Korean has 14 basic consonants. Each has a name (e.g. "giyeok" for ㄱ) and one or two main sounds. Below is the full list with common romanization.
| Letter | Romanization |
|---|---|
| ㄱ | g/k |
| ㄴ | n |
| ㄷ | d/t |
| ㄹ | r/l |
| ㅁ | m |
| ㅂ | b/p |
| ㅅ | s |
| ㅇ | ng (silent) |
| ㅈ | j |
| ㅊ | ch |
| ㅋ | k |
| ㅌ | t |
| ㅍ | p |
| ㅎ | h |
Tip: ㅇ has no sound at the start of a syllable (it is "silent") and sounds like "ng" at the end. ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅈ can sound softer (g, d, b, s, j) or stronger (k, t, p, s, ch) depending on position.
The 21 Hangul Vowels (모음)
Hangul has 21 vowels: 6 basic vertical/horizontal vowels, plus compound vowels. Learning them in groups (basic → y- sounds → compound) makes memorization easier.
| Letter | Romanization |
|---|---|
| ㅏ | a |
| ㅓ | eo |
| ㅗ | o |
| ㅜ | u |
| ㅡ | eu |
| ㅣ | i |
| ㅑ | ya |
| ㅕ | yeo |
| ㅛ | yo |
| ㅠ | yu |
| ㅐ | ae |
| ㅔ | e |
| ㅒ | yae |
| ㅖ | ye |
| ㅘ | wa |
| ㅙ | wae |
| ㅚ | oe |
| ㅝ | wo |
| ㅞ | we |
| ㅟ | wi |
| ㅢ | ui |
Basic vowels ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ are the building blocks. Adding a short stroke gives ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ (y + a, eo, o, u). ㅐ/ㅔ and ㅒ/ㅖ, plus combinations like ㅘ, ㅝ, ㅢ, complete the set.
How Consonants and Vowels Combine: Syllable Blocks
In Hangul, one consonant and one vowel (and optionally a final consonant) form a syllable block. For example: ㄱ + ㅏ = 가 (ga), ㄴ + ㅏ = 나 (na). Blocks are read left to right, top to bottom. This is why learning 자음 and 모음 first is the best way to start reading Korean.
How to Practice Hangul Consonants and Vowels
Use our Learn Hangul section to study consonants and vowels step by step, then try the Hangul Quiz to test yourself on letters and romanization. Practicing a few minutes each day will help you recognize and recall 자음 and 모음 quickly.
Korean Dojang — Learn Hangul consonants (자음) and vowels (모음) at your own pace.