A first look at sound changes

Thank you in Korean is spelled gamsahabnida, letter by letter, but every Korean says gamsahamnida.

Korean spelling usually shows the shape of each word, not the sound it makes in a sentence. When two blocks meet, the final consonant of the first and the first consonant of the second often change each other. You met one of these changes in unit 4: a final consonant moves across when a vowel follows. This unit introduces five more of the most common ones. You do not need to memorize the rules to speak. Koreans make these changes without thinking, and copying recordings will teach your mouth the same habits. Knowing the rules mainly helps you read a word you have never heard and say it the way a Korean would.

k, t, p before n or m

When a final k, t or p meets an n or m at the start of the next block, it turns into the nasal made at the same place: k becomes ng, t becomes n and p becomes m. The word for soup or broth, gungmul, is spelled with a final k before m. The polite verb ending spelled with a final p before n is said with an m, which is why thank you, I am, and almost every formal sentence ending sound the way they do. Try saying the k and the m one after the other at normal speed and you will feel why: the mouth is already closing for the nasal.

n next to l

An n next to an l, on either side, becomes l. The old kingdom of Silla is spelled with an n before an l, and the Lunar New Year, seollal, is spelled with an l before an n. Both are said with a double l. This is the reason the official romanization writes Silla and not Sinla: the rules follow the sound.

t before i, and h next to a stop

A final t or t with breath followed by the vowel i becomes j or ch. The word for together is spelled gat-i but said gachi, and the word for sunrise, haedoji, works the same way. The sound h also likes to merge. When h meets a plain g, d, b or j, the two fuse into the aspirated consonant: the word for good and (as in good and cheap) is spelled joh-go and said joko. When h comes before a vowel, it usually disappears: it is good, joayo, has no h in speech at all.

Tensing after k, t, p

A plain g, d, b, s or j right after a final k, t or p becomes tense. The word for school, hakgyo, is said hakkyo, and the rice soup gukbap is said with a tense pp. Unlike the other changes, this one is not shown in the official romanization. The Seoul district Apgujeong is said with a tense g but written Apgujeong. A short list of how the romanization treats each change is in the table, and it doubles as a summary of the unit.