Aspirated (Strong) Consonants
Korean has four strong consonants: ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, and ㅊ.
Writing strong consonants
Section titled “Writing strong consonants”These strong consonants might seem familiar to you. They are all made by adding one stroke to their plain version (except for ㅂ/ㅍ):
- ㄱ → ㅋ
- ㄷ → ㅌ
- ㅈ → ㅊ
- ㅂ → ㅍ
Pronunciation
Section titled “Pronunciation”They are also called aspirated consonants because you pronounce them with a strong burst or puff of air and a higher pitch than plain consonants.
Do not try to make the sound louder or tighten your throat. The important cue is the burst of air:
| Letter | Romanization | Rough English comparison |
|---|---|---|
| ㅋ | k | the k at the start of key |
| ㅌ | t | the t at the start of top |
| ㅍ | p | the p at the start of pie |
| ㅊ | ch | the ch at the start of chair |
These English comparisons are only approximations.
| ㅈ | ㅊ | ㄱ | ㅋ | ㄷ | ㅌ | ㅂ | ㅍ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | 자 | 차 | 가 | 카 | 다 | 타 | 바 | 파 |
| ㅓ | 저 | 처 | 거 | 커 | 더 | 터 | 버 | 퍼 |
| ㅗ | 조 | 초 | 고 | 코 | 도 | 토 | 보 | 포 |
| ㅜ | 주 | 추 | 구 | 쿠 | 두 | 투 | 부 | 푸 |
Word Examples
Section titled “Word Examples”These words begin with an aspirated consonant:
- 차 = car; tea
- 코 = nose
- 팔 = arm
- 타다 = to ride