Learn to Read Korean the EASY Way — All 14 Consonants (No Memorizing!), by Hailey _Your Korean Friend on YouTube. 14 min 11 s.
- Video length
- 14 min 11 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Start at 1:38 with ㄱ. It sounds like g at the start of a syllable and k at the end. Say it out loud, then repeat the practice syllables after the teacher.
Move on to ㄴ at 3:06 and ㄷ at 3:46. Say each name and sound aloud before you look at the next one, and repeat each syllable three times.
Learn ㄹ at 4:34 and ㅁ at 5:23. ㄹ sits between r and l, so copy the teacher's mouth instead of matching it to an English letter.
Add ㅂ at 6:12 and ㅅ at 7:04. Say them out loud, then read the practice syllables once without listening first.
Learn ㅇ at 7:49. It is silent at the start of a syllable and sounds like ng at the end, so practise both positions.
Cover ㅈ at 8:36 and ㅊ at 9:16. These are the plain and aspirated j and ch pair, so hold a hand in front of your mouth to feel the puff of air.
Work through ㅋ, ㅌ and ㅍ from 9:59. They are the aspirated versions of ㄱ, ㄷ and ㅂ, so say them with a stronger breath.
Finish with ㅎ at 11:58, a soft h from the back of the throat. Read its practice syllables aloud.
Use the recap at 12:36. Point at each of the 14 consonants and say its sound from memory, then check the ones you missed.
Tips and common mistakes
Practise for 10 minutes a day rather than one long session, because your mouth needs repetition more than your memory.
Read every syllable out loud, since Korean sounds do not map exactly onto English letters.
Record yourself and compare with the native audio, especially for ㄹ and the aspirated ㅋ, ㅌ and ㅍ.
Leave the vowels for a separate session so the 14 consonants settle first.
Questions
Do I need to memorise the letter shapes?
No. The approach here is to say each consonant and its practice syllables aloud, so the shapes stick through repetition rather than rote learning.
How long until I can read Hangul?
Most beginners can sound out simple syllables after a few short sessions. Reading smoothly takes a few weeks of daily practice.
What is the difference between ㄱ and ㅋ?
ㄱ is the plain sound and ㅋ is the aspirated one, said with a stronger puff of air. The same plain and aspirated pattern applies to ㄷ and ㅌ, and to ㅂ and ㅍ.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
