Lesson 1 gave you 24 letters. Today you'll add 11 compound vowels, learn how a syllable can close with a final consonant, and read your first 16 real Korean words.
Everything today is built from the same 24 letters and the same block-shape idea from Lesson 1 — just two new tricks.
So far every syllable ended in a vowel sound. Add a consonant underneath and the syllable closes with it — 가 (ga) becomes 각 (gak). This bottom letter is called batchim (받침).
Two basic vowel strokes can merge into one glide sound — ㅗ and ㅐ combine into ㅙ. These are Hangul's 11 compound vowels.
Each one is two basic vowels fused together. Tap 🔊 to hear each one spoken.
🔊 Uses your browser's built-in Korean voice — no download needed.
Any consonant can sit underneath a syllable, but when it does, it only keeps one of seven "closed" sounds — the consonant is cut short, never released. Tap each block below to hear the difference.
Several other letters collapse into these same seven sounds when they're used as batchim:
Built entirely from what you now know — 24 basic letters, 11 compound vowels, and batchim. Tap 🔊 on any card to hear it.
10 questions mixing new letters and new words.