The Korean Alphabet - Hangeul

The Korean writing system, Hangeul is based on a few fundamental rules. Each syllable is built from 2 or more letters and can be broken down into a consonant (initial consonant), a vowel, and an optional final consonant (batchim). If a syllable begins with a vowel, the consonant ㅇ (-/ng) is used and it is a silent placeholder. 

Key Rules for Syllable Formation:

• Syllables Begin with a Consonant: Each syllable block starts with a consonant. 

  
  

  가 나 다 라 마 바

  
  

• Vowel Syllables: If a syllable starts with a vowel, the silent consonant ㅇ (-/ng) is used before the vowel. 

  
  

  아 이 우 에 오

  
  

• Structure: The basic structure is: Initial consonant + vowel + optional final consonant (batchim). 

ㄱ+ㅏ+ㄴ g + a + n

• Batchim: The final consonant (batchim) is placed at the bottom of the syllable block. 

ㄱ+ㅏ+ㄴ = 간

• Reading: Hangul is read from left to right and top to bottom. 

  
  

Additional Notes:

• Consonants and Vowels: Hangul has 14 consonants and 10 vowels. 

• Pronunciation Changes: Some consonants change their sound depending on their position within a word. 

  
  

• Syllable Blocks: Syllables are grouped into blocks, and each block represents one syllable. 

• Word Formation: Hangul letters combine to form syllables, which then build words. 

Hangul is made up of 24 basic letters, 14 of which are consonants (ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅇ ㅈ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ) and 10 of which are vowels (ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ ㅣ). Additionally, the Korean alphabet has 19 complex letters with 5 combined consonants (ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅉ ㅆ) and 11 complex vowels (ㅢ ㅚ ㅐ ㅟ ㅔ ㅒ ㅖ ㅘ ㅝ ㅙ ㅞ).