Pronunciation Guide — Learn Korean

이민혁

✗CommonLee Min Hyuk

✓CorrectEE-min-hyeok

IPA: /iː.min.hjʌk/

💡 The first syllable sounds like "EE", not "Lee"

전정국

✗CommonJeon Chung-kook

✓CorrectJeon Jeong-guk

IPA: /tɕʌn.dʑʌŋ.ɡuk/

💡 Jungkook: "Jung" sounds like "joong" not "jung"

뷔

✗CommonV (just "vee")

✓CorrectByuh (뷔)

IPA: /bɥi/

💡 뷔 has no English equivalent — short vowel between "be" and "wee"

슈가

✗CommonShoo-ga

✓CorrectSyu-ga

IPA: /ɕy.ɡa/

💡 The "슈" syllable starts with a palatal sound, not a plain "sh"

제니

✗CommonJEH-nee

✓CorrectJay-nee (제니)

IPA: /tɕe.ni/

💡 "제" is like "jay" in English but shorter

지수

✗CommonJi-soo (two syllables stressed)

✓CorrectJisoo (ji-su)

IPA: /tɕi.su/

💡 Both syllables have equal stress in Korean

리사

✗CommonLEE-sah

✓CorrectRi-sa

IPA: /ɾi.sa/

💡 "ㄹ" at the start is a light "r" flap, not a strong "L"

채영

✗CommonChay-oong

✓CorrectChae-yeong

IPA: /tɕʰɛ.jʌŋ/

💡 "영" ends with "ng" like in "song", not "oong"

다현

✗CommonDah-hyeon

✓CorrectDa-hyeon

IPA: /ta.hjʌn/

💡 "다" starts unaspirated "d" — softer than English "d"

나연

✗CommonNah-yeon

✓CorrectNa-yeon

IPA: /na.jʌn/

💡 "연" = "yeon", the "ㅓ" vowel sounds like "uh" not "ay"

홍중

✗CommonHong-joong

✓CorrectHong-joong ✓ (most get this right!)

IPA: /hoŋ.dʑuŋ/

💡 The final "ng" sound: ㅇ at end of syllable = /ŋ/

산

✗CommonSan (Spanish-style)

✓CorrectSan (Korean: san)

IPA: /san/

💡 Korean "ㅏ" is a pure "ah" sound, more open than English "a"

김남준

✗CommonKim Nam-joon

✓CorrectKim Nam-jun

IPA: /kim.nam.dʑun/

💡 "준" ends with a subtle final consonant, not an open "n"

예지

✗CommonYeh-jee

✓CorrectYe-ji

IPA: /je.dʑi/

💡 "예" = "ye" like "yes" shortened — not "yeh"

민지

✗CommonMin-jee

✓CorrectMin-ji

IPA: /min.dʑi/

💡 "지" sounds closer to "ji" with a soft "j" that has a slight "ch" quality

해린

✗CommonHae-rin (rhymes with "in")

✓CorrectHae-rin (rin = "reen")

IPA: /hɛ.ɾin/

💡 "ㅣ" (i vowel) is always "ee" in Korean, not "ih"

하니

✗CommonHa-knee

✓CorrectHa-ni

IPA: /ha.ni/

💡 Simple! "ha-ni" — "ni" rhymes with "nee"

히스

✗CommonHiss

✓CorrectHee-seu

IPA: /hiː.sɯ/

💡 Hyunseung: "수" vowel "으" (eu) has no English equivalent — mid-back unrounded

강호동

✗CommonKang Ho-dong

✓CorrectGang Ho-dong

IPA: /kaŋ.ho.doŋ/

💡 "ㄱ" at syllable start is unaspirated, closer to "g" than "k"

포닌

✗CommonPo-nin

✓CorrectHa-ni → HANNI

IPA: /hæ.ni/

💡 HANNI uses Australian English "Hanni" — pronounced as spelled in English.

화이팅 (hwaiting)

✗WAH-ting

✓hwa-i-ting

💡 All three syllables: "hwa" (like "hwa" in "hwang"), "i" (ee), "ting"

대박 (daebak)

✗day-back

✓dae-bak

💡 "대" = "dae" as in "Daegu". The "ae" vowel is like "e" in "bed"

오빠 (oppa)

✗OH-pah

✓op-pa

💡 The "pp" is a tense/fortis consonant — make the "p" crisp and strong

언니 (eonni)

✗on-ee

✓eon-ni

💡 "eo" = "uh" — so it sounds like "uhn-ni" not "on-ee"

노래 (norae)

✗noh-ray

✓no-rae

💡 "래" ends in "e" vowel (ae), not a "y" glide

귀엽다 (gwiyeopda)

✗gwee-opda

✓gwi-yeop-da

💡 "귀" = "gwi" (like "gwe" with an ee). "엽" = "yeop" (yop)

진짜 (jinjja)

✗jin-ja

✓jin-jja

💡 "짜" uses the tense consonant "ㅉ" — say "jja" with extra emphasis

맞아요 (majayo)

✗mah-jah-yo

✓ma-ja-yo

💡 Three syllables, equal stress, final "yo" sounds like "yoh"

아이고 (aigo)

✗ah-ee-goh

✓ai-go

💡 Two syllables: "ai" + "go". "ai" is like "eye"

잠깐 (jamkkan)

✗jam-kan

✓jam-kkan

💡 "깐" uses tense "ㄲ" — "kkan" with extra tension in the throat

어서 오세요 (eoseo oseyo)

✗oh-seo oh-seh-yo

✓eo-seo o-se-yo

💡 Welcome! Four syllables. "eo" is always "uh" not "oh"

감사합니다 (gamsahamnida)

✗gam-sah-ham-nee-da

✓gam-sa-ham-ni-da

💡 Five syllables. "합니" assimilates to sound like "ham-ni"

안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo)

✗an-yong-hase-yo

✓an-nyeong-ha-se-yo

💡 "녕" = "nyeong" — "ny" is a palatal nasal like Spanish "ñ"

너무 좋아요 (neomu joayo)

✗noh-moo joe-ah-yo

✓neo-mu jo-a-yo

💡 "너" = "neo" (nuh) not "noh". "좋아" assimilates to "jo-a"

파이팅 (paiting)

✗pie-ting

✓pa-i-ting

💡 Same as 화이팅 but without the "hw" — "pa" + "i" + "ting"

Fan chants (응원법) are memorized phrases fans shout during specific moments in songs.

방탄소년단 (Bangtan Sonyeondan)

✗bang-tan-son-yon-dan

✓bang-tan-so-nyeon-dan

💡 BTS's full name: 6 syllables. "소년단" = "so-nyeon-dan" not "son-yon-dan"

ARMY (아미)

✗AR-mee

✓ah-mi

💡 In Korean, ARMY = 아미 (ah-mi) — fans say it both ways

전정국 최고야

✗Jeon Jung-kook choi-go-yah

✓Jeon Jeong-guk choe-go-ya

💡 "최고야" = "choe-go-ya" — "최" is one syllable, "choe" like "chway"

블랙핑크 인 유어 에어리어

✗black-pink in your area (English pace)

✓beul-laek-ping-keu in yu-eo e-eo-ri-eo

💡 When saying in Korean, each English word gets broken into Korean syllables

ONCE 원스

✗wons

✓won-seu

💡 TWICE's fandom: "원스" = "won-seu" — always two syllables in Korean

워너비 (Wannabe)

✗wanna-bee

✓wo-neo-bi

💡 In Korean phonology, English "wannabe" becomes 3 Korean syllables

우리 ATEEZ

✗oo-ri ateez

✓u-ri ateez (correctly!)

💡 "우리" = "u-ri" — means "our" or "we". "u" is like "oo" in "food"

김남준 RM 랩몬스터

✗kim nam-joon rap monster

✓gim nam-jun raem-mon-seu-teo

💡 In Korean "RM" and rapper names use Korean phonology rules

이랄라 알랄라

✗ee-ral-la al-la-la

✓i-ral-la al-lal-la

💡 Fan chant from "CHEER UP" — the "ㄹ" between vowels sounds like a soft "r"

샤이니 샤이니 샤이니

✗shy-knee shy-knee shy-knee

✓sha-i-ni sha-i-ni sha-i-ni

💡 SHINee: "샤이니" = "sha-i-ni", 3 syllables. Not "shiny" as in English!

🗣 Pronunciation Guide