Five Korean sound change rules for perfect pronunciation with 50 examples
Important of sound change rules:
Korean
language has several sound change rules that affect pronunciation, making it
different from how words are written. These rules are crucial for proper
pronunciation and understanding of spoken Korean. Understanding the sound
change rules is essential for learners of Korean. They not only help in proper
pronunciation but also aid in comprehension of spoken Korean, as native
speakers naturally apply these rules in their speech. Mastering these rules can
significantly improve a learner's ability to communicate effectively in Korean.
Rule 1: Syllable-Final Neutralization Rule (SFNR)
The Syllable-Final Neutralization Rule refers to the phenomenon where certain consonants at the end of a syllable (받침) are pronounced differently than their written forms. In Korean, only specific consonants are allowed in the syllable-final position, and others are neutralized to one of these allowed consonants.
Key points about syllable-final neutralization:
-
Consonants like ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ, ㅎ are neutralized to ㄷ.
-
Consonants like ㅋ and
ㄲ are neutralized to ㄱ.
-
Consonants like ㅍ are
neutralized to ㅂ.
Here are ten examples demonstrating this rule:
낫 (sickle) - pronounced as [낟]
있 (to exist) - pronounced as [읻]
젖 (milk) - pronounced as [젇]
꽃 (flower) - pronounced as [꼳]
밭 (field) - pronounced as [받]
좋다 (good) - pronounced as [졷다] -> [조타]
밖 (outside) - pronounced as [박]
닭 (chicken) - pronounced as [닥]
앞 (front) - pronounced as [압]
밟다 (step on) - pronounced as [밥다]
Rule 2: Nasalization Rule
Nasalization Before Nasal Consonants: When a non-nasal consonant (like ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ) is followed by a nasal consonant (ㅁ, ㄴ), the non-nasal consonant changes to a nasal
sound. This makes pronunciation smoother.
국물 (soup) → ㄱ becomes [ㅇ], pronounced as [궁물]
Nasalization After Nasal Consonants: When a non-nasal consonant is preceded by a
nasal consonant, it also changes to a nasal sound to match the preceding nasal
consonant.
있는 (to have) → 인는 (ㅆ becomes ㄷ, ㄷ becomes ㄴ before ㄴ)
Here are ten examples demonstrating this rule:
먹는 (eating) - ㄱ becomes [ㅇ], pronounced as [멍는]
입니다 (to be) - ㅂ becomes [ㅁ], pronounced as [임니다]
책만 (only book) - ㄱ becomes [ㅇ], pronounced as [챙만]
십만 (100,000) - ㅂ becomes [ㅁ], pronounced as [심만]
국내 (domestic) - ㄱ becomes [ㅇ], pronounced as [궁내]
맞는 (correct) - ㅈ becomes [ㄴ], pronounced as [만는]
감사합니다 (thank you) - ㅂ becomes [ㅁ], pronounced as [감사함니다]
업무 (business) - ㅂ becomes [ㅁ], pronounced as [엄무]
독립 (independence) - ㄱ becomes [ㅇ], pronounced as [동닙]
적립 (accumulation)→ ㄱ becomes [ㅇ], pronunced as [정닙]
Rule 3: Assimilation in Korean
Assimilation
in Korean involves sounds becoming more similar to neighboring sounds,
particularly noticeable in consonant clusters. This rule can significantly
change the pronunciation of words from their written form.
A. Lateral Assimilation (유음화):
When ㄴ is followed by ㄹ, the ㄴ changes to ㄹ.
신라 (Silla) - ㄴㄹ becomes [ㄹㄹ], pronounced as [실라]
B. Nasal Assimilation (비음화): When a non-nasal consonant (like ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ) is followed or preceded by a nasal consonant
(ㅁ, ㄴ), the non-nasal consonant becomes nasalized.
학년 (school year) – ㄱㄴ becomes [ㅇㄴ], pronounced as [항년]
Here
are ten examples illustrating this rule:
백리 (100 ri) - ㄱㄹ becomes [ㅇㄴ], pronounced as [뱅니]
독립 (independence) - ㄱㄹ becomes [ㅇㄴ], pronounced as [동닙]
날로 (day by day) - ㄹㄹ becomes [ㄹㄹ], pronounced as [날로]
설날 (New Year's Day) - ㄹㄴ becomes [ㄹㄹ], pronounced as [설랄]
십리 (10 ri) - ㅂㄹ becomes [ㅁㄴ], pronounced as [심니]
부엌 (kitchen) - ㅋ becomes [ㄱ], pronounced as [부억]
학기 (semester) - ㄱㄱ becomes [ㄲ], pronounced as [학끼]
먹다 (to eat) - ㄱㄷ becomes [ㄸ], pronounced as [먹따]
각색 (variety) - ㄱㅅ becomes [ㅆ], pronounced as [각쌕]
녹저 (rust) - ㄱㅈ becomes [ㅉ], pronounced as [녹쩌]
Rule 4: ㅎ (h) Sound Changes
The
consonant ㅎ
undergoes several unique sound changes in Korean. When ㅎ is combined with certain other consonants, it
can cause aspiration or other modifications to the pronunciation.
A. When ㅎ combines with the consonants ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, and ㅈ, these consonants become their aspirated
counterparts ㅋ,
ㅌ,
ㅍ,
and ㅊ,
respectively.
좋다 (to be good) - ㅎㄷ becomes [ㅌ], pronounced as [조타]
많다 (much) – ㅎㄷ becomes [ㅌ], pronounced as [만타]
B. When ㅎ is followed by a nasal consonant (ㄴ, ㅁ), the ㅎ often becomes pronounced as the nasal
consonant or is dropped.
전화 (phone) - ㄴㅎ becomes silent, pronounced as [전와]
놓는다 (to put) – ㅎㄴ becomes [ㄴㄴ], prounced as [논는다]
C. When ㅎ is followed by a liquid consonant (ㄹ), the ㅎ can reinforce the ㄹ, making it more prominent.
Here
are examples demonstrating these sound changes:
축하하다 (to congratulate) – ㄱㅎ become [ㅋ], pronounced as [추카하다]
많이 (many) - ㅎㅇ becomes silent, pronounced as [마니]
그렇게 (like that) - ㅎㄱ becomes [ㅋ], pronounced as [그러케]
쌓다 (to pile up) - ㅎㄷ becomes [ㅌ], pronounced as [싸타]
놓고 (to put and) - ㅎㄱ becomes [ㅋ], pronounced as [노코]
많았다 (were much) - ㅎ becomes silent before a vowel, pronounced as [마났다]
익숙하다 (to be familiar) - ㅎㄷ becomes [ㅋ], pronounced as [익수카다]
좋아요 (it's good) - ㅎ becomes silent, pronounced as [조아요]
졸업하다 (to graduate) - ㅎㄷ becomes [ㅍ], pronounced as [조러파다]
닫히다 (to be closed) - ㅎ with ㄷ becomes [ㅊ], pronounced as [다치다]
Rule 5: Re-syllabification Rule
Re-syllabification
in Korean is a process where consonants at the end of one syllable are moved to
the beginning of the following syllable when a vowel follows. This helps make
pronunciation smoother and aligns with Korean phonotactic rules.
Here
are ten examples illustrating this rule:
꽃이 (flower + subject particle) - pronounced as [꼬치]
밥을 (rice + object particle) - pronounced as [바블]
곧이어 (soon after) - pronounced as [고디어]
깨닫아 (to realize) - pronounced as [깨다다]
듣어 (to listen) - pronounced as [드더]
음악 (music) - pronounced as [으막]
밖에 (outside) - pronounced as [바께]
꼭 오세요
(please come by for sure) - pronounced as [꼬고세요]
앉아요 (sit down) - pronounced as [안자요]
작은 (small) - pronounced as [자그은]
Keywords:
Korean sound change rules, Korean pronunciation rules, Korean speaking rules