Test yourself on all 40 Hangul letters in a free quiz — 10 questions a round, with the sound played after every answer. Start with the 19 consonants, then the 21 vowels, then mix them, and finish by reading real words such as 커피 (coffee) and 택시 (taxi). Wrong answers can be practiced again at the end, and your best score on each level is kept in your browser.
Key facts — koreankorea.com free Korean course
- Hangul has 40 letters in use: 19 consonants and 21 vowels.
- Korean has three-way sets of consonants — plain, breathy and tense — such as ㄱ, ㅋ and ㄲ.
- Most Koreans today pronounce the vowels ㅐ and ㅔ the same.
Hangul quiz
Loading the converter…
Letters learners mix up
These are the sounds that trip up most beginners. Tap ▶ and listen for the difference.
| Letters | Listen | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ · ㅋ · ㄲ | ▶ 가 ▶ 카 ▶ 까 | plain, breathy, tense — say 가 softly, 카 with a puff of air, 까 tight with no air |
| ㄷ · ㅌ · ㄸ | ▶ 다 ▶ 타 ▶ 따 | the same three-way set |
| ㅂ · ㅍ · ㅃ | ▶ 바 ▶ 파 ▶ 빠 | the same three-way set |
| ㅈ · ㅊ · ㅉ | ▶ 자 ▶ 차 ▶ 짜 | the same three-way set |
| ㅅ · ㅆ | ▶ 사 ▶ 싸 | ㅆ is a tense, sharper s |
| ㅓ · ㅗ | ▶ 어 ▶ 오 | ㅓ is an open "uh" with relaxed lips; ㅗ is "o" with rounded lips |
| ㅐ · ㅔ | ▶ 애 ▶ 에 | most Koreans now say these the same; tell them apart by spelling |
| ㅡ · ㅜ | ▶ 으 ▶ 우 | ㅡ has flat lips; ㅜ rounds them |
| ㅢ | ▶ 의 | ㅡ glides into ㅣ; often said 이 or 에 in speech |
Words in the reading quiz
Many are borrowed from English, so you can check your reading by the sound. The rest are words you will see on signs in Korea.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ▶ 커피 | keopi | coffee |
| ▶ 피자 | pija | pizza |
| ▶ 바나나 | banana | banana |
| ▶ 택시 | taeksi | taxi |
| ▶ 버스 | beoseu | bus |
| ▶ 호텔 | hotel | hotel |
| ▶ 카메라 | kamera | camera |
| ▶ 컴퓨터 | keompyuteo | computer |
| ▶ 아이스크림 | aiseukeurim | ice cream |
| ▶ 서울 | seoul | Seoul |
| ▶ 김치 | gimchi | kimchi |
| ▶ 한국 | hanguk | Korea |
| ▶ 우유 | uyu | milk |
| ▶ 물 | mul | water |
| ▶ 라면 | ramyeon | instant noodles |
| ▶ 치킨 | chikin | fried chicken |
| ▶ 햄버거 | haembeogeo | hamburger |
| ▶ 주스 | juseu | juice |
| ▶ 케이크 | keikeu | cake |
| ▶ 토마토 | tomato | tomato |
| ▶ 메뉴 | menyu | menu |
| ▶ 화장실 | hwajangsil | restroom |
| ▶ 지하철 | jihacheol | subway |
| ▶ 공항 | gonghang | airport |
| ▶ 병원 | byeongwon | hospital |
| ▶ 약국 | yakguk | pharmacy |
| ▶ 편의점 | pyeonuijeom | convenience store |
| ▶ 출구 | chulgu | exit |
| ▶ 입구 | ipgu | entrance |
| ▶ 사랑 | sarang | love |
| ▶ 친구 | chingu | friend |
| ▶ 감사합니다 | gamsahamnida | thank you |
| ▶ 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | hello |
| ▶ 노래 | norae | song |
| ▶ 춤 | chum | dance |
| ▶ 빵 | ppang | bread |
| ▶ 밥 | bap | rice, a meal |
| ▶ 떡볶이 | tteokbokki | tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) |
| ▶ 비빔밥 | bibimbap | bibimbap |
| ▶ 콜라 | kolla | cola |
How to use this quiz
- Learn the letters first on the Korean alphabet chart or Stage 1 of our course.
- Play Consonants until you score 10 out of 10, then Vowels.
- Play All letters, then use “Practice my mistakes” on the ones you missed.
- Move on to Read words — reading a whole word is the real test.
Then try typing the words on our Korean keyboard.
This page is part of our free Korean course — Stage 1: Hangul · Stage 2: Beginner · Stage 3: Intermediate · Stage 4: Advanced.
FAQ
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 letters are few (40 in use) and each has one main sound.
What should I learn first, consonants or vowels?
Either works; this quiz starts with the 19 consonants because each one is drawn on the mouth shape that makes it, then the 21 vowels, which are built from a dot (now a short stroke), a flat line and a standing line.
Why are ㄱ, ㅋ and ㄲ hard to hear apart?
English has no tense consonants like ㄲ, and ㄱ at the start of a word sounds between g and k. Listen for the puff of air in ㅋ and the tight, airless start of ㄲ.
Are ㅐ and ㅔ pronounced differently?
Most Koreans today say them the same, so learners tell them apart by spelling.
Is my score saved?
Your best score per level is saved only in your own browser.
The quiz runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere. Romanization: Revised Romanization of Korean. ▶ sounds use your browser’s Korean voice.
Last updated 2026-11-04. Editorial policy
