Hangul Consonants (한글 자음)

What is Hangul?

Hangul (한글) is the Korean alphabet, created in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great. It is a scientific and logical writing system. Hangul consists of 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels. Today we focus on the consonants.

The 14 Basic Consonants

Writing Order (Stroke Order)

Korean consonants are written in a specific order. Practice each stroke carefully.

Tip: Watch online videos for animated stroke order – it helps muscle memory.

Pronunciation Practice Table

Hand Gesture Mnemonics

• ㄱ – looks like the corner of a square (giyeok)
• ㄴ – like a bent L-shape (nieun)
• ㅁ – a square box (mouth shape)
• ㅅ – looks like a pine tree or bristly shape
• ㅇ – a circle, silent or ng

Writing Exercise

Practice writing each consonant 3 times. Then match the Korean consonant to its name:

1. ㄱ → a) rieul    b) giyeok    c) nieun
2. ㄴ → a) digeut    b) nieun    c) mieum
3. ㅋ → a) kieuk    b) tieut    c) hieut
4. ㅎ → a) hieut    b) pieup    c) chieut
5. ㅇ → a) ieung    b) siot    c) jieut