Unit 13 · ㄱ, ㅋ and ㄲ · Meet

ㄱ, ㅋ and ㄲ

Hear the relaxed, airy and tense g/k family.

Meet the letters

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

ㄱIn 가
i

g/k (lax). A Korean lax stop. Its voicing depends on position; it is not simply an English g everywhere.. Letter name: 기역. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅋIn 카
i

kʰ (airy). A stronger puff of air than lax ㄱ.. Letter name: 키읔. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㄲIn 까
i

kk (tense). Firm tense articulation; not two separately spoken k syllables.. Letter name: 쌍기역. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

Build a syllable

A quick first step: fit the new letters into a block. Next, find syllables in words and practise reading, listening and writing.

1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㄱㅏ
가
ㄱ + ㅏ
1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㄱㅗ
고
ㄱ + ㅗ
1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㅋㅏ
카
ㅋ + ㅏ
1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㅋㅗ
코
ㅋ + ㅗ
1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㄲㅏ
까
ㄲ + ㅏ
1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㄲㅗ
꼬
ㄲ + ㅗ

Words to read

meat

고기

meatgogi
nose

코

noseko
tail

꼬리

tailkkori
Reading tips

ㄱ · g/k (lax) · A Korean lax stop. Its voicing depends on position; it is not simply an English g everywhere.

ㅋ · kʰ (airy) · A stronger puff of air than lax ㄱ.

ㄲ · kk (tense) · Firm tense articulation; not two separately spoken k syllables.

Meet the relaxed, airy and tense g/k starts with the same helper vowel.

Find the first syllable in meat, nose and tail. Change the vowel while keeping the consonant you just learned.

Reading practice

Three ways to start

Listen to the three models first. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

relaxed k
airy kʰ
tense kk
Mystery sound

Three ways to start

Listen to the three models first. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

relaxed k
airy kʰ
tense kk
Mystery sound

Three ways to start

Listen to the three models first. Then: which one is the mystery sound?

Listen first

relaxed k
airy kʰ
tense kk
Mystery sound

First, place the new letters

Copy this block using its start, vowel and any ending.

가
1 · Start2 · Vowel
12
□
Start → vowel

First, place the new letters

Copy this block using its start, vowel and any ending.

고
1 · Start2 · Vowel
12
□
Start → vowel

Find the syllable in its word

Match each syllable to the highlighted part of a word.

Find the sound

Listen to an example syllable. Match its new letter.

Read with support

Match the words to their pictures.

Read without a sound cue

Match the words to their pictures.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

코

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the spelling.

Hear the trained contrast

Listen to the practice syllable. Choose its spelling.

Build the word

Look and listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

meat

Recall the spelling

Listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

Build the word

Look and listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

nose

Recall the spelling

Listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

Build the word

Look and listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

tail

Recall the spelling

Listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Hear the relaxed, airy and tense g/k family.

Next unit
meat

고기

meat
nose

코

nose
tail

꼬리

tail
Use a Korean keyboard

The on-screen keys use consonant and vowel elements and join them into ordinary written words.

For your own typing, enable a Korean two-set keyboard on your device. Enter the start, vowel and optional final consonant in order.

All letters

ㅇIn 아
i

silent initially / ng finally. A syllable needs an initial consonant position. ㅇ fills it silently before a vowel; at the bottom of 강, it is ng.. Letter name: 이응. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅏIn 아
i

a. An open a. With a vertical vowel, the initial consonant sits on the left.

ㅣIn 이
i

i. A clear ee vowel.

ㅗIn 오
i

o. A rounded o. A horizontal vowel goes underneath the initial consonant.

ㅜIn 우
i

u. A rounded oo vowel.

ㅠIn 유
i

yu. A y glide plus ㅜ.

ㄴIn 나
i

n. Tongue at the ridge behind the upper teeth.. Letter name: 니은. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅁIn 마
i

m. Close the lips.. Letter name: 미음. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㄷIn 다
i

d/t (lax). Another lax stop; listen to its position in words.. Letter name: 디귿. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅅIn 사
i

s. Before 이 it is commonly nearer sh.. Letter name: 시옷. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅓIn 어
i

eo / ʌ. An open unrounded vowel; not a sequence e + o.

ㅡIn 으
i

eu / ɯ. A high unrounded vowel; not oo. Keep the lips unrounded.

ㅂIn 바
i

b/p (lax). A lax lip stop; voicing varies with position.. Letter name: 비읍. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㄹIn 라
i

r/l. Often a short tap between vowels and l at the end of a syllable.. Letter name: 리을. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅎIn 하
i

h. An h sound; it can interact with following consonants.. Letter name: 히읗. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㄱIn 가
i

g/k (lax). A Korean lax stop. Its voicing depends on position; it is not simply an English g everywhere.. Letter name: 기역. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅋIn 카
i

kʰ (airy). A stronger puff of air than lax ㄱ.. Letter name: 키읔. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㄲIn 까
i

kk (tense). Firm tense articulation; not two separately spoken k syllables.. Letter name: 쌍기역. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅑIn 야
i

ya. The extra stroke adds a y glide.

ㅕIn 여
i

yeo. A y glide plus ㅓ.

ㅛIn 요
i

yo. A y glide plus ㅗ.

ㅌIn 타
i

tʰ (airy). A puff of air; not English th.. Letter name: 티읕. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㄸIn 따
i

tt (tense). Firm articulation; no separate extra syllable.. Letter name: 쌍디귿. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅍIn 파
i

pʰ (airy). A puff of air after the lips open.. Letter name: 피읖. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅃIn 빠
i

pp (tense). Firm lip closure.. Letter name: 쌍비읍. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅆIn 싸
i

ss (tense). A tense s; compare ㅅ.. Letter name: 쌍시옷. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅈIn 자
i

j/ch (lax). A lax joined consonant; listen rather than substituting one English sound.. Letter name: 지읒. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅊIn 차
i

chʰ (airy). An airy joined consonant.. Letter name: 치읓. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅉIn 짜
i

jj (tense). A tense joined consonant.. Letter name: 쌍지읒. The recording plays the labelled example syllable.

ㅐIn 애
i

ae. Often pronounced like ㅔ in modern standard speech.

ㅔIn 에
i

e. Often merges with ㅐ; still learn the distinct spelling.

ㅒIn 얘
i

yae. A y glide with ㅐ.

ㅖIn 예
i

ye. A y glide with ㅔ; pronunciation varies in some consonant contexts.

ㅘIn 와
i

wa. ㅗ plus ㅏ in one syllable.

ㅝIn 워
i

wo. ㅜ plus ㅓ.

ㅟIn 위
i

wi. ㅜ plus ㅣ.

ㅙIn 왜
i

wae. ㅗ plus ㅐ.

ㅚIn 외
i

oe / we. Commonly pronounced like we in contemporary speech.

ㅞIn 웨
i

we. ㅜ plus ㅔ.

ㅢIn 의
i

ui. Often eu + i initially. In common positions and in the possessive particle, pronunciation can change; listen to 의사 and the course phrases.