Unit 17 · Give the block a floor · Read

Give the block a floor

Add a final consonant underneath the start and vowel.

Read the examples

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

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.

The bottom consonant is called batchim. It goes below the start-and-vowel pair in either layout. Build a two-letter block first, then add its floor.

1 · Start2 · Vowel3 · Ending
ㄱㅏㅇ
강
ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅇ
1 · Start2 · Vowel3 · Ending
ㅁㅜㄴ
문
ㅁ + ㅜ + ㄴ
1 · Start2 · Vowel3 · Ending
ㅁㅏㄹ
말
ㅁ + ㅏ + ㄹ
1 · Start2 · Vowel3 · Ending
ㅁㅗㅁ
몸
ㅁ + ㅗ + ㅁ

Words to read

river

강

rivergang
door

문

doormun
person

사람

personsaram
horse; also speech

말

horse; also speechmal
body

몸

bodymom
Reading tips

The bottom consonant is called batchim. It goes below the start-and-vowel pair in either layout. Build a two-letter block first, then add its floor.

Initial ㅇ is silent; final ㅇ is ng. Final ㄴ is n, final ㅁ is m, and final ㄹ is l. Close the syllable without adding a new vowel.

Reading practice

First, place the new letters

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

강
1 · Start2 · Vowel3 · Ending
123
□
Start → vowel

First, place the new letters

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

문
1 · Start2 · Vowel3 · Ending
123
□
Start → vowel

First, place the new letters

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

말
1 · Start2 · Vowel3 · Ending
123
□
Start → vowel

First, place the new letters

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

몸
1 · Start2 · Vowel3 · Ending
123
□
Start → vowel

Hear the whole word

Listen. Find its printed word.

Hear the whole word

Listen. Find its printed word.

Read without a sound hint

Read the words. Match their pictures.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

문

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

말

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

What does the bottom circle sound like?

강

Write the word

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

river

Write the word

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

door

Write the word

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

person

Write the word

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

horse; also speech

Write the word

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

body

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Add a final consonant underneath the start and vowel.

Next unit
river

강

river
door

문

door
person

사람

person
horse; also speech

말

horse; also speech
body

몸

body
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.

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.

ㅁIn 마
i

m. Close the lips.

ㄷIn 다
i

d/t (lax). Another lax stop; listen to its position in words.

ㅅIn 사
i

s. Before 이 it is commonly nearer sh.

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.

ㄹIn 라
i

r/l. Often a short tap between vowels and l at the end of a syllable.

ㅂIn 바
i

b/p (lax). A lax lip stop; voicing varies with position.

ㄱIn 가
i

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

ㅋIn 카
i

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

ㄲIn 까
i

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

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.

ㄸIn 따
i

tt (tense). Firm articulation; no separate extra syllable.

ㅍIn 파
i

pʰ (airy). A puff of air after the lips open.

ㅃIn 빠
i

pp (tense). Firm lip closure.

ㅆIn 싸
i

ss (tense). A tense s; compare ㅅ.

ㅈIn 자
i

j/ch (lax). A lax joined consonant; listen rather than substituting one English sound.

ㅊIn 차
i

chʰ (airy). An airy joined consonant.

ㅉIn 짜
i

jj (tense). A tense joined consonant.

ㅎIn 하
i

h. An h sound; it can interact with following consonants.

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.