The Korean alphabet, Hangul, has 24 basic letters — 14 consonants and 10 vowels. With 5 double consonants and 11 combined vowels built from them, 40 letters are in use today: 19 consonants and 21 vowels. Letters are grouped into one square block per syllable (ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ = 한), and most learners can read Hangul slowly within about a week at around 30 minutes a day.
Key facts — koreankorea.com free Korean course
- Hangul, the Korean alphabet, has 24 basic letters: 14 consonants and 10 vowels.
- With 5 double consonants and 11 combined vowels, 40 Hangul letters are in use today: 19 consonants and 21 vowels.
- Hangul was completed at the end of 1443 under King Sejong the Great and promulgated in 1446 in the book Hunminjeongeum.
- Most learners can read Hangul slowly within about a week at around 30 minutes a day.
The whole Hangul alphabet on one page
Hangul has 24 basic letters — 14 consonants and 10 vowels, plus 5 double consonants and 11 combined vowels built from them. Tap ▶ to hear each one (your browser’s Korean voice reads it with a vowel, because Korean letters are always read in syllables). Keep this chart open while you do the steps below.
Consonants (14)
| Letter | Name | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | 기역 | g / k |
| ㄴ | 니은 | n |
| ㄷ | 디귿 | d / t |
| ㄹ | 리을 | r / l |
| ㅁ | 미음 | m |
| ㅂ | 비읍 | b / p |
| ㅅ | 시옷 | s / t |
| ㅇ | 이응 | silent / ng |
| ㅈ | 지읒 | j / t |
| ㅊ | 치읓 | ch / t |
| ㅋ | 키읔 | k |
| ㅌ | 티읕 | t |
| ㅍ | 피읖 | p |
| ㅎ | 히읗 | h |
Double consonants (5) — tenser sounds
| Letter | Name | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| ㄲ | 쌍기역 | kk |
| ㄸ | 쌍디귿 | tt |
| ㅃ | 쌍비읍 | pp |
| ㅆ | 쌍시옷 | ss |
| ㅉ | 쌍지읒 | jj |
Vowels (10)
| Letter | Romanization |
|---|---|
| ㅏ | a |
| ㅑ | ya |
| ㅓ | eo |
| ㅕ | yeo |
| ㅗ | o |
| ㅛ | yo |
| ㅜ | u |
| ㅠ | yu |
| ㅡ | eu |
| ㅣ | i |
Combined vowels (11)
| Letter | Romanization |
|---|---|
| ㅐ | ae |
| ㅒ | yae |
| ㅔ | e |
| ㅖ | ye |
| ㅘ | wa |
| ㅙ | wae |
| ㅚ | oe |
| ㅝ | wo |
| ㅞ | we |
| ㅟ | wi |
| ㅢ | ui |
How letters stack into syllables
Every syllable is a block: a consonant first, then a vowel beside or below it, and sometimes a final consonant underneath (the “batchim”).
- 가 = ㄱ (g) + ㅏ (a) → ga
- 한 = ㅎ (h) + ㅏ (a) + ㄴ (n) → han
- 국 = ㄱ (g) + ㅜ (u) + ㄱ (k) → guk
- 한국 → Hanguk (Korea)
18 words you will see on signs
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 출구 | Chulgu | exit |
| 입구 | Ipgu | entrance |
| 화장실 | Hwajangsil | restroom |
| 지하철 | Jihacheol | subway |
| 역 | Yeok | station |
| 공항 | Gonghang | airport |
| 버스 | Beoseu | bus |
| 택시 | Taeksi | taxi |
| 물 | Mul | water |
| 김치 | Gimchi | kimchi |
| 비빔밥 | Bibimbap | bibimbap |
| 영업중 | Yeongeopjung | open (business hours) |
| 당기세요 | Danggiseyo | pull |
| 미세요 | Miseyo | push |
| 서울 | Seoul | Seoul |
| 부산 | Busan | Busan |
| 제주 | Jeju | Jeju |
| 감사합니다 | Gamsahamnida | thank you |
Korean alphabet order
This is the order used in South Korean dictionaries, so it is also the order to look words up in. Double consonants come right after their single letter, and combined vowels come after the vowel they start with.
Consonants (19)
Vowels (21)
Why the letters look the way they do
The five basic consonants are drawn from the speech organs: ㄱ is the back of the tongue blocking the throat, ㄴ the tongue tip touching the ridge behind the upper teeth, ㅁ the mouth, ㅅ a tooth and ㅇ the round throat. Stronger sounds add a stroke (ㄱ→ㅋ, ㄴ→ㄷ→ㅌ, ㅁ→ㅂ→ㅍ, ㅅ→ㅈ→ㅊ). Vowels are built from three marks: a short stroke, flat ㅡ and standing ㅣ.
From the chart to reading words
The chart tells you each letter’s sound; reading real words also needs the 7 final sounds (batchim) and a few sound changes — 감사합니다 (thank you) is said [감사함니다]. Stage 1 of our course takes you there in ordered steps with writing sheets and a workbook. When you can read, Stage 2 starts on grammar and numbers.
This page is part of our free Korean course — Stage 1: Hangul · Stage 2: Beginner · Stage 3: Intermediate · Stage 4: Advanced.
FAQ
How many letters are in the Korean alphabet?
Hangul has 24 basic letters (14 consonants and 10 vowels). Counting the 5 double consonants and 11 combined vowels, 40 letters are in use: 19 consonants and 21 vowels.
What is the order of the Korean alphabet?
Consonants: ㄱ ㄲ ㄴ ㄷ ㄸ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅃ ㅅ ㅆ ㅇ ㅈ ㅉ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ. Vowels: ㅏ ㅐ ㅑ ㅒ ㅓ ㅔ ㅕ ㅖ ㅗ ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅛ ㅜ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅠ ㅡ ㅢ ㅣ. This is the South Korean dictionary order.
How long does it take to learn Hangul?
Most learners can read Hangul slowly within about a week at around 30 minutes a day. The sound rules and typing take about two more weeks.
Why does ㅇ have no sound?
At the start of a syllable ㅇ is a silent placeholder, because every syllable block must begin with a consonant: 아 is just "a". At the end of a syllable it sounds "ng", as in 강 (gang).
Is there a printable Korean alphabet chart?
Yes — the free Hangul chart PDF on this page comes in English, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese versions; the Korean is the same in each.
Romanization: Revised Romanization of Korean. ▶ sounds use your browser’s Korean voice.
How this page was made: built automatically from the official public data cited here and refreshed when the data changes; the site operator reviews the page and its sources. Last updated 2026-10-09. Editorial policy
