Hangul consonants — basic shapes
Recognize g/k, n, d, r/l, m, b/p, s, silent/ng starters.
What you will learn
By the end of this lesson you can name the nine starter consonants, read them in a syllable block, and understand why ㅇ sometimes has no sound at the start.
Why this matters (school-level)
Hangul is a phonetic alphabet, not pictographs. Every Korean child learns these shapes first; you are aligning with the same foundation.
Step 1 — Meet the nine basics
Study this set until you can say them in order: ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅇ ㅈ.
| Letter | Classroom name | Sound idea at start |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | giyeok | g/k |
| ㄴ | nieun | n |
| ㄷ | digeut | d/t |
| ㄹ | rieul | r/l (tap or glide) |
| ㅁ | mieum | m |
| ㅂ | bieup | b/p |
| ㅅ | siot | s |
| ㅇ | ieung | silent before vowel; ng at bottom |
| ㅈ | jieut | j/ch |
Step 2 — Where they sit in the square
Rule: the consonant goes on the left or top of the vowel. Nothing goes “below the line” except the final consonant (batchim), which you learn in the next blocks.
Step 3 — The silent circle ㅇ
When ㅇ starts a syllable before a vowel, it is a placeholder (no sound): 아, 오, 우. When it sits at the bottom as 받침, it is ng (as in 강, king-like rhyme).
Step 4 — Drill like a workbook
- Read aloud: 가 거 고 구, 나 너 노 누 — same consonant family, five vowels.
- Cover the Korean and write from dictation; check shapes, not just meaning.
- Find five shop signs photos and trace each consonant you recognize.
Common mistakes
- Treating ㄹ like English “r” — it is lighter.
- Forgetting that aspiration (strong h/air on ㅌㅍㅊ…) comes in the next lesson set.
Self-check
Can you write 가나다 from memory and read it left-to-right as three syllables? If yes, move on.
Examples & practice: mini conversation
Read across: English meaning → Korean sentence → romanization (Konglish-style pronunciation guide, not official MR).
| Speaker | English | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 민호 | The street signs use these block letters—what are they? | 간판 글자가 네모난데, 뭐예요? | ganpan geuljaga nemomande, mwoyeyo? |
| 지영 | That’s Hangul—each chunk is one syllable. | 한글이에요. 한 덩어리가 한 음절이에요. | hangeurieyo. han deong-eoriga han eumjeorieyo. |
| 민호 | So ㄱ isn’t English “R”? | 그럼 ㄱ이 영어 R이 아니에요? | geureom ㄱ-i yeong-eo R-i anieyo? |
| 지영 | Right—it’s more like g/k depending on spot. Try 가. | 아니요, 위치에 따라 g/k 비슷해요. 가 해 보세요. | aniyo, wichie ttara g/k biseuthaeyo. ga hae boseyo. |
| 민호 | Ga… then 나… I’m reading! | 가… 나… 읽고 있어요! | ga… na… ilgo isseoyo! |
| 지영 | Exactly—consonants live left or on top. | 맞아요, 자음은 왼쪽이나 위에 있어요. | majayo, ja-eumeun oenjjogina wie isseoyo. |
| 민호 | Last dumb question: silent circle at the start? | 맨 앞 동그라미는요? 소리 없어요? | maen ap donggeulamineunyo? sori eopseoyo? |
| 지영 | Yes—ㅇ before a vowel is a placeholder. Like in 아침. | 네, 모음 앞 ㅇ은 빈 자리예요. 아침처럼요. | ne, mo-eum ap ㅇ-eun bin jarieyo. achimcheoreomyo. |