Hello. Welcome to my Korean lesson! Did you finish studying the Korean alphabet, Hangeul? Then, this post can reinforce your Korean alphabet recognition. Please read carefully to find out the different looks of Hangeul that may confuse you!
<Table of Contents>
About different fonts
The Korean alphabet has different looks depending on writing styles(fonts). I used the simple form with straight lines and circles like below through my Korean alphabet section.
가 나 다 라 마 바 사 아 자 차 카 타 파 하
Do they look familiar to you? They are pretty easy to recognize, aren't they? However, I saw many students struggle to recognize when the letters look slightly changed. So, I prepared this post to help you understand the various looks of the Korean alphabet.
Basic Vowels
First, I'll show you basic vowels. The syllables below are the common ways you can see in a Korean book.
The top tips are bent and the thickness throughout the vowels is different. It is because it is based on calligraphy, the traditional writing method with brush and ink.
When you write letters in calligraphy, you bend the top of a letter as you put the brush on paper. Also, you have to adjust the intensity as you write. This font is called 명조체 and there are many various versions of it. Not that font name matters here, but just to be aware, even if they look a bit different, they are still the letters you've learned! Here are more basic vowels' different look. Can you try to recognize them?
Consonants
The consonants can have different shapes too! Compare how they look different from the top and bottom rows. However, consonants also can be affected by vowels, so I will show you the basic syllables here!
The top row may look familiar to you. The bottom row has some extra short strokes. This font is a mimicry of calligraphy so there are some extra decorative lines. Even though the syllables at the bottom row have that extra top short stroke, they are still the same syllables as above! Don't let that small stokes fool you!
Below are details about some consonants that need more attention. You don't have to memorize all the different shapes of a consonant. There are so many different fonts in the world! But you need to be able to recognize the letters.
I only can show you some of the fonts. However, I tried to give you good examples of very different styles. When you see other than those looks you can still try to guess! I hope my examples can help you!
1. ㄱ
기역(ㄱ) can be slightly bent when it meets vertically long vowels such as ㅣ, ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, and ㅕ. But it can also be written with just straight lines like the third 가. When it meets the horizontally long vowels such as ㅡ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, and ㅠ, it gets wider and you write them with straight lines. The examples of different 고 are not as tilted as 가. To make things easy, you can write ㄱ with two straight lines no matter what vowels you use!
2. ㄲ
Here are some different looks of the double consonant 쌍기역(ㄲ). Just like 기역, ㄲ can bend more when it meets the top-down long vowels.
3. ㅃ
쌍비읍(ㅃ) consists of two ㅂ. You can put two ㅂ side by side with a gap or no gap. In the examples above, you can see some ㅂ are attached. Some examples have a slight gap between two letters. ㅂ also can have small additional top lines. Those additional lined ones are not the new letters! Those are just decorations.
4. ㅅ
시옷(ㅅ) consists of two lines. They can look a little different depending on where the second line starts. Does it start from the middle? Does it start at the top? Take a close look at the examples above! Even though they look a little different, the below letters are all ㅅ.
5. ㅆ
Let's look at the 쌍시옷(ㅆ), the double ㅅ. Just like ㅅ has different looks, so as the ㅆ. There are many different fonts, right? Even though they look slightly different from each other they are all 싸 and 쏘.
6. ㅈ
Let's take a look at 지읒(ㅈ). I had to go through many fonts to show you all these different-looking. Depending on where the second or the third line starts they can look different. The second line(diagonal line from top right to bottom left) can start either in the middle of the first horizontal line or at the right end of it. The third line also can be started at the middle of the second stroke or from the top line.
7. ㅉ
We'll look at the double consonant ㅉ this time. 쌍지읒(ㅉ) came from 지읒(ㅈ), so of course, it has many looks as well. Can you see each syllable and try to read it?
8. ㅊ
치읓(ㅊ) is also related to 지읒(ㅈ). So you can see many looks. Especially the first line (the line above ㅈ) can be vertical or horizontal. Can you spot each one from the example above?
9. ㅎ
Now, I'll show you 히읗(ㅎ). The two lines above ㅇ(이응) make ㅎ(히읗). Those two lines can be parallel or meet each other. Make sure to not write like a cross when you write the two top lines.
Here are the various looks of 14 basic syllables and 5 double consonant syllables. Even though they slightly look different from each other, now you can tell, they are all the same! Look closely and try to read them aloud. Can you tell which letter is which?
Practice
It's practice time! With those different looks, you still have to be able to recognize them! Can you try to read these words below? When you read, don't just think in your head but try to read them aloud. If you click the picture, it'll be enlarged. The answers are below.
Here are the answers. I'll write the Romanization pronunciation to help your reading. Each syllable is connected using the hyphen(-). However, don't get too used to pronunciation that is written in English. Eventually, you have to read Hangeul as it is!
고기 [go-gi]
아기 [ah-gi]
아빠 [ah-bba]
나비 [na-bi]
오리 [oh-li]
여우 [yeo-u]
마루 [ma-lu]
오빠 [oh-bba]
아저씨 [ah-jeo-ssi]
노트 [no-teu]
Wrap-up: The different looks of the Korean alphabet
In this post, you read about the different-looking Korean letters and syllables. Even though they slightly can look different, their main looks don't change. You don't have to memorize all the different looks but try to understand the main core that makes them as letters!
If you have any questions, please use the comment sections below. Also, don't forget to like the post and subscribe to my website if it is helpful! Thank you for studying with My Korean Lesson!