Complete Korean Alphabet Symbols

This page includes a total of 40 symbols of the Korean alphabet, commonly known as the "Korean Forty Sounds", fully covering all fundamental and extended complex letters used in the modern Korean writing system (Hangul). The Korean alphabet is the cornerstone of learning Korean pronunciation, created by King Sejong in the 15th century. Each symbol carries a unique phonetic function and historical culture. Below is a detailed introduction to each symbol's technical parameters and usage scenarios by category.

🔤 Basic Consonants

ㄱ called 기역 (giyeok), is one of the most basic consonants in the Korean alphabet. It usually represents the velar plosive /k/. Its Unicode is U+3131 and HTML entity is ㄱ. The shape mimics the outline of the tongue root against the soft palate, and it corresponds to the "r" key on a Korean keyboard. ㄴ called 니은 (nieun), is the representative nasal sound in the alphabet, usually for the alveolar nasal /n/. Unicode: U+3134, HTML entity: ㄴ. The shape originates from the tongue shape touching the upper alveolar ridge, making it a core letter of the Korean nasal system. ㄷ called 디귿 (digeut), usually for the alveolar plosive /t/. Unicode: U+3137, HTML entity: ㄷ. Its stroke may deform slightly depending on its position in writing, but it is unified in Unicode encoding. ㄹ called 리을 (rieul), is the consonant with the most varied pronunciation in the alphabet, usually for the flap /ɾ/ or lateral /l/. Unicode: U+3139, HTML entity: ㄹ. It sounds as a flap between vowels and as a lateral at the end of a syllable, requiring special attention from beginners. ㅁ called 미음 (mieum), usually for the bilabial nasal /m/. Unicode: U+3141, HTML entity: ㅁ. The shape symbolizes closed lips and is one of the most common consonants across world languages. ㅂ called 비읍 (bieup), usually for the bilabial plosive /p/. Unicode: U+3142, HTML entity: ㅂ. It is slightly aspirated at the start of a word and becomes an unaspirated voiced sound in the middle, requiring attention to context. ㅅ called 시옷 (siot), usually for the alveolar fricative /s/. Unicode: U+3145, HTML entity: ㅅ. When combined with the vowel "ㅣ", the actual pronunciation changes to /ʃ/ similar to English "sh", a key exception in learning the Korean alphabet. ㅇ called 이응 (ieung), is the most functionally unique letter in the alphabet, usually for the velar nasal /ŋ/ or as a placeholder for a silent initial. Unicode: U+3147, HTML entity: ㅇ. It is silent at the beginning of a syllable, serving only as a shape support; at the end, it produces a clear /ŋ/ sound. ㅈ called 지읒 (jieut), usually for the alveolar affricate /tɕ/. Unicode: U+3148, HTML entity: ㅈ. The tongue tip touches the back of the lower teeth while the tongue body rises near the hard palate, similar to the English "j" but with a flatter tongue position. ㅊ called 치읓 (chieut), usually for the aspirated alveolar affricate /tɕʰ/. Unicode: U+314A, HTML entity: ㅊ. It is the aspirated version of ㅈ, accompanied by a strong burst of air. In design, it often has an extra stroke compared to ㅈ. ㅋ called 키읔 (kieuk), usually for the aspirated velar plosive /kʰ/. Unicode: U+314B, HTML entity: ㅋ. Shaped like ㄱ with an added stroke, it sounds like the 'k' in "kite" with a strong puff of air. ㅌ called 티읕 (tieut), usually for the aspirated alveolar plosive /tʰ/. Unicode: U+314C, HTML entity: ㅌ. Formed by ㄷ plus a stroke, the tongue tip bursts with noticeable aspiration. ㅍ called 피읖 (pieup), usually for the aspirated bilabial plosive /pʰ/. Unicode: U+314D, HTML entity: ㅍ. It looks like ㅂ but with an extended top stroke, producing a stronger burst of air than the English 'p'. ㅎ called 히읗 (hieut), usually for the glottal fricative /h/. Unicode: U+314E, HTML entity: ㅎ. It sounds like the 'h' in "hat" but may weaken between vowels, making it the lightest airflow consonant in the alphabet.

🔤 Tense Consonants (Double Consonants)

ㄲ called 쌍기역 (ssanggiyeok), is a representative tense sound in the Korean alphabet, usually for the tense velar plosive /k͈/. Unicode: U+3132, HTML entity: ㄲ. The throat muscles tense up and the glottis closes, producing a "squeezed" auditory sensation, making it a highly distinctive strong consonant in Korean. ㄸ called 쌍디귿 (ssangdigeut), usually for the tense alveolar plosive /t͈/. Unicode: U+3138, HTML entity: ㄸ. Written with two ㄷ side by side, the tongue tip presses tightly against the upper alveolar ridge with explosive force and no aspiration. ㅃ called 쌍비읍 (ssangbieup), usually for the tense bilabial plosive /p͈/. Unicode: U+3143, HTML entity: ㅃ. Sounds like the 'p' in "speak" but with more throat tension. It distinguishes word meanings, like "불" (fire) vs. "뿔" (horn). ㅆ called 쌍시옷 (ssangsiot), usually for the tense alveolar fricative /s͈/. Unicode: U+3146, HTML entity: ㅆ. The airflow channel is narrower, creating strong friction and a higher pitch. It is the only tense fricative in the alphabet. ㅉ called 쌍지읒 (ssangjieut), usually for the tense alveolar affricate /t͈ɕ/. Unicode: U+3149, HTML entity: ㅉ. The tongue body contacts the hard palate more tightly, bursting then quickly turning into friction, sounding sharper than "ㅈ".

🔤 Basic Vowels

ㅏ called 아 (a), is the most open vowel in the Korean alphabet, usually for the low central vowel /a/. Unicode: U+314F, HTML entity: ㅏ. Sounds like the 'a' in "father". Its stroke consists of a vertical line and a short horizontal stroke to the right. ㅑ called 야 (ya), usually for the combination /ja/. Unicode: U+3151, HTML entity: ㅑ. Sounds like "ya" in "yard", formed by adding a short stroke to ㅏ, and is a representative of positive vowels. ㅓ called 어 (eo), usually for the mid-low central vowel /ʌ/. Unicode: U+3153, HTML entity: ㅓ. Sounds similar to the 'u' in "up" but with a lower tongue position. The shape is opposite to ㅏ, reflecting the philosophy of vowel duality in the Korean alphabet. ㅕ called 여 (yeo), usually for the /jʌ/ sound. Unicode: U+3155, HTML entity: ㅕ. Glides from the semivowel y to ㅓ. It is a derivative vowel of ㅓ and is used very frequently in Korean vocabulary. ㅗ called 오 (o), usually for the rounded back high-mid vowel /o/. Unicode: U+3157, HTML entity: ㅗ. Sounds like the 'o' in "go" but with rounder lips. The stroke, a horizontal line and a downward short vertical, belongs to negative vowels. ㅛ called 요 (yo), usually for the /jo/ sound. Unicode: U+3159, HTML entity: ㅙ. Formed by adding a dot (simplified to a short stroke in modern Korean) to ㅗ, with a light and rising sound. ㅜ called 우 (u), usually for the rounded back high vowel /u/. Unicode: U+315B, HTML entity: ㅛ. Sounds like "oo" in "moon". The shape extends horizontally, forming a yin-yang symmetry with ㅗ. ㅠ called 유 (yu), usually for the /ju/ sound. Unicode: U+315D, HTML entity: ㅝ. Derived by adding a dot to ㅜ, the lips quickly round, like the English word "you". ㅡ called 으 (eu), is the most distinctive vowel in the Korean alphabet, usually for the unrounded back high vowel /ɯ/. Unicode: U+3161, HTML entity: ㅡ. The corners of the mouth are pulled wide, with the tongue high and flat. There is no exact equivalent in Chinese, so beginners need extra practice. ㅣ called 이 (i), usually for the front high vowel /i/. Unicode: U+3163, HTML entity: ㅣ. Sounds like "ee" in "see". It is the simplest stroke in the alphabet, symbolizing humanity among heaven, earth, and humanity.

🔤 Complex Vowels

ㅐ called 애 (ae), is a complex vowel in the Korean alphabet, usually for the near-low front vowel /ɛ/. Unicode: U+3150, HTML entity: ㅐ. Sounds like the 'e' in "bed", formed by quickly combining ㅏ and ㅣ. In daily speech, it is often confused with ㅔ. ㅒ called 얘 (yae), usually for the /jɛ/ sound. Unicode: U+3152, HTML entity: ㅒ. Synthesized from ㅑ and ㅣ, pronounced as y plus ae. It is a less frequently used derivative vowel. ㅔ called 에 (e), usually for the mid-high front vowel /e/. Unicode: U+3154, HTML entity: ㅔ. Sounds like the 'e' in "hey", combined from ㅓ and ㅣ. The pronunciation difference with ㅐ has gradually blurred among younger Korean speakers. ㅖ called 예 (ye), usually for the /je/ sound. Unicode: U+3156, HTML entity: ㅖ. Synthesized from ㅕ and ㅣ, it has a clear pronunciation and is often used in verb endings. ㅘ called 와 (wa), usually for the /wa/ sound. Unicode: U+3158, HTML entity: ㅘ. Synthesized from ㅗ and ㅏ, it sounds like "wa" in "want" and is a common complex vowel. ㅙ called 왜 (wae), usually for the /wɛ/ sound. Unicode: U+3159, HTML entity: ㅙ. Synthesized from ㅗ and ㅐ, it sounds similar to "wet" but with a more open vowel. It appears in the question word "왜" (why). ㅚ called 외 (oe), usually for the /ø/ or /we/ sound. Unicode: U+315A, HTML entity: ㅚ. Traditionally a rounded front vowel, but now often becomes the diphthong we, combined from ㅗ and ㅣ. ㅝ called 워 (wo), usually for the /wʌ/ sound. Unicode: U+315C, HTML entity: ㅜ. Synthesized from ㅜ and ㅓ, the lips quickly transition from the u rounding to eo. ㅞ called 웨 (we), usually for the /we/ sound. Unicode: U+315E, HTML entity: ㅞ. Synthesized from ㅜ and ㅔ, the pronunciation is almost identical to the modern pronunciation of ㅚ. ㅟ called 위 (wi), usually for the /wi/ or /ɥi/ sound. Unicode: U+315F, HTML entity: ㅟ. Synthesized from ㅜ and ㅣ, it sounds like "we" in English but with pursed lips. ㅢ called 의 (ui), is one of the most unique vowels in the Korean alphabet, usually for the /ɰi/ or /i/ sound. Unicode: U+3160, HTML entity: ㅠ. Synthesized from ㅡ and ㅣ, it simplifies to an 에 sound when used as a possessive particle, requiring special attention for its flexible usage.

📌 Usage Notes for the Korean Alphabet

When using Korean alphabet symbols, several key points require attention: First, tense symbols ㄲㄸㅃㅆㅉ visually resemble basic consonants but are completely independent characters in data encoding. Do not mix them up when copying. Second, ㅇ (ieung) functions very differently at the start and end of a syllable. Input methods usually determine this by context, but when manually combining Unicode, you must specify the position clearly. Third, the Unicode block for Korean alphabet letters is located at U+3131 to U+3163, belonging to the "Hangul Compatibility Jamo" block, which differs from the combined Korean syllables (U+AC00 to U+D7A3). This page provides independent letter symbols. Fourth, when using in HTML, all alphabet letters can be directly entered or used with numeric entities without extra font support, though some older systems might display tense sounds as double letters. Fifth, downloaded SVG or PNG graphics use the system default font for rendering. If a traditional calligraphic style is needed, it is recommended to specify "Noto Sans KR" or "Nanum Gothic" in CSS. Sixth, the stroke order of Korean alphabet letters is not reflected in Unicode. For teaching purposes, it is advised to combine them with animations or stroke decomposition diagrams. These notes can help you correctly use Korean alphabet symbols in various scenarios.

💡 Tips for Use

If you need to copy the Unicode or HTML entity of a Korean alphabet letter, simply click the corresponding symbol card above, and in the pop-up detail panel, click the respective item to copy it instantly. Each symbol can generate SVG vector source code or be downloaded as a 512×512 pixel PNG image with a transparent background, making it convenient for use in courseware, graphic design, or website localization projects. For academic writing or textbook editing, it is recommended to use Unicode encoding directly to ensure cross-platform data consistency. The Korean alphabet is the foundation for learning Korean. Mastering the pronunciation and writing of these 40 letters will lay a solid groundwork for further Korean study.