How to speak in korean

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Do you want to speak Korean? To learn Korean, you must acquire Korean words and know how to pronounce them correctly. Our free online lessons are tailored to help you learn Korean effectively. In addition, our voice recording feature allows you to listen to your pronunciation, providing instant feedback to help you improve your Korean.

Study Korean in just 5 minutes a day

LingoHut delivers online Korean lessons designed the way you learn best. Activities and games make learning more effective, more personal, and more fun. In addition, our drip-feed approach dramatically increases your ability to retain the Korean language. Thus, preparing you with the Korean you need for a trip or getting a job.

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Korean resource for homeschooling

As homeschooling grows, parents look for good foreign language resources to teach Korean. Your homeschooler deserves the best platform to learn Korean, giving them the tools to communicate and understand Korean. This free homeschool foreign language resource helps build Korean vocabulary and provides a place to practice the proper pronunciation of Korean. Does your child want to learn Korean?

Korean resource for foreign language teachers

It isn’t easy for a foreign language teacher to find good foreign language resources to help students improve their new Albanian language skills. At LingoHut, we focus on building Albanian vocabulary and teaching the proper pronunciation of Albanian. It is an entirely free resource that foreign language teachers can confidently recommend. Students do not need an account to learn on the website. Do you teach Korean? Share this free foreign language resource.

Boost your professional development with Korean language skills

Invest in your future and learn Korean to accelerate your career. With the rapid pace of change, you must continually update your skills and knowledge. Stand out from the crowd with Korean language skills.

Learn Korean and get more out of your travel experience

Before a trip, the best preparation you can do is to learn some Korean words. Learning Korean will provide you with a better experience during your travels. Start learning Korean today at LingoHut.com. Click on any of the 125 + free online Korean lessons above to start your journey to communicate in Korean.

Learn Korean with the «drip-feed» approach

Imagine a dripping faucet, each drop collecting to form a puddle that continues to expand with each drip. Similarly, this approach focuses on understanding Korean in small increments. Think of each Korean word as a drop and each Korean phrase/sentence as a small puddle, which finally becomes the large pool of your new language mastery and success. Bit by bit, step by step, drop by drop, Korean is integrated successfully into your knowledge base!

Gentle Advice: 10 Ways to Improve Your Korean Speaking

Did you notice how, the moment you decided to start learning Korean, everybody starting yelling opinions at you?

But you don’t need to get overwhelmed by all the different advice you hear.

If you’re looking to improve your Korean speaking, regardless of where you are in the world or how far along you are in your learning, there are more concrete things you can do to get there.

Below are some suggestions that anyone can use to actually improve their Korean speaking skills. No yelling involved.

Contents

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The Stuff You Probably Already Know

The truth is, you’re probably already aware of these things and you’re either already doing them or you’re not. You don’t have to do all of them, and you don’t have to do any of them all the time—but whatever you can do will, inevitably, be helpful.

After we go through these, we’ll look at less obvious stuff you can do.

One step that you must conquer before even attempting to level up your Korean speaking is overcoming your fear of this skill. For some valuable insights into this critical action, check out the video below. Korean learner Cherie talks you through some of the top ways to overcome this initial hurdle and make the most of all the speaking opportunities available to you:

Watch dramas and movies.

Korean learners have an advantage over learners of many other languages in that the amount of authentic media out there in the form of TV and movies on an international level is staggering.

Most major streaming platforms carry a healthy dose of Korean films and dramas, and sites like Viki give you more dramas than you could likely ever watch. Asian Crush is a great place to access Korean movies outside of the main international platforms like Netflix. Additionally, you’ve got the generous Korean Film Archive on YouTube.

And by the way, all three of these resources offer free content.

When you watch movies or shows, try to alternate between intensive and extensive learning. In other words, make sure that you sometimes watch just for enjoyment. Other times, you may want to go through a particular scene to pick out useful phrases or words (we’ll talk about sentence mining a bit more below).

Find a Korean learning partner.

This tip can help you at any stage in your learning, but it can be a pain trying to find someone who you feel comfortable talking to. One solution to this could be to start off with a penpal and then, after you’ve exchanged some emails and gotten to know them a bit, suggest switching to video calls.

If you’re more comfortable with an in-person exchange but nervous about working out the particulars, Lexody offers a more guided experience for meetups near you.

Find as many opportunities as possible to use the language.

This goes not just for actual speaking but for any spontaneous, interactive usage of the language. Starting with your computer settings and social media accounts is a good idea because you probably already spend a lot of time interacting with your electronic devices.

For example, creating a separate account for chatting with people in Korean on Twitter (and following only Korean accounts) is one way of using the language that’s fairly close to speaking it.

The Other Stuff You Should Be Doing

Hanging out where Korean speakers hang out (even if you’re not in Korea).

There’s a lot to be said for just being in a place where people are speaking Korean, even if you aren’t actively participating in conversations. While they often contain similar vocabulary, real conversations flow differently than those in dramas, and simply witnessing them can help build your speaking confidence.

If you’re in Korea, this is easy. If not, you may think you’re out of luck. But the Korean diaspora may be more accessible to you than you think. There are a bunch of Koreatowns in the U.S., and they’re not all in California by a long shot. Toronto’s Koreatown is also fairly robust, and the food options are nearly overwhelming.

Additionally, any H Mart location is a dream for your Korean speaking skills. Most H Marts are still in the U.S., but they’ve begun expanding into Canada and the U.K. The exact layout will depend on the location, but many H Marts have a regular (huge) grocery section and a food court with several restaurants where you can hang out and listen to people talk.

You may also find separate small shops selling anything from furniture to (Korean-language) books.

The staff members are often bilingual, so you can find reasons to have small conversations with them in Korean and switch to English if needed. You don’t need to feel weird about being in an H Mart if you’re not Korean, but you’ll also invariably run into native speakers there. My 할머니 (halmoni, Korean grandmother), who lives in the Chicago suburbs, insists on going there practically every time I visit her.

Even if you’re not near any of this stuff, it’s worth looking into Korean groceries, restaurants and businesses in your area. Korean YouTube chef Maangchi maintains a worldwide directory of Korean grocery stores on her site.

Using an immersion program

A great way to practice your Korean speaking skills is to listen to native speakers and imitate how they speak. And you don’t need to travel to Korea or get a language exchange partner to listen to native speakers. Korean media is a great way to hear native speakers talk.

While you’ve no doubt been wanting to enjoy authentic content like Korean movies and TV shows, an immersive language learning program can give you more structure and support while you learn from listening to native speech.

Getting into sentence mining.

Learning Korean vocabulary will only help you to the extent that you’re able to use it naturally. And for speaking, you need to be able to locate that natural usage at the drop of a hat. One way to get started on this is to have a list of templates in your brain that you can modify as needed to form useful sentences.

Sentence mining is collecting sentences, often from a variety of sources, saving them and familiarizing yourself with them. It’s striving to learn full sentences rather than individual words. For example, you might use a flashcard program like Anki to store sentences that you cull from a variety of places (books, webtoons, dramas, etc.).

There are already some Korean sentence decks on Anki, but these are user-made, so you’ll want to check them for errors before drilling them into your brain (which could in itself be a useful exercise).

If you’re a beginner, you can start mining sentences from any program that gives you example sentences. Korean from Zero! is excellent for this, because each lesson is packed with sentences and matching playable audio.

If you’re past the basics, you can start mining authentic sentences from any resources that suit your needs. For example, mine from a medical drama if you’re looking to use the language in a medical setting (of course, you’ll have to work out yourself how factually accurate any fictional sources are).

Using programs with voice recognition.

Programs that prompt you to speak into your device’s microphone, then analyze your speech, are fantastic for building speaking confidence. They give you a feeling of accomplishment not just for having successfully spoken within a limited time-frame, but also for having engaged in some form of interaction.

There are well-known programs that come with voice recognition, but these can be pricey. As an alternative, you can always use Loecsen online for free. While this program teaches Korean basics, there’s no shame in using it to enhance your speaking skills even if your knowledge is more advanced. Just because you’ve “learned” something doesn’t mean you’ve really learned it.

You can also just use Google Translate’s voice input feature to test your Korean speaking. Set the entry language to Korean and hit the mic icon on the bottom left. You can then use whatever input you like (your previously mined sentences would be perfect) to test out your skills.

Doing audio courses with your eyes closed.

Of course, the traditional audio language course often includes speaking prompts even without voice recognition technology. These can be useful for speaking, too.

In my experience, though, they can also increase tension and foreign language anxiety, especially if you’re already nervous about speaking. I once actually broke out in hives for a few weeks after using a pretty well-known audio language program that shall remain nameless. This may be due to the combination of the timed intervals and lack of supportive feedback; you feel compelled to concentrate really hard but then have to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing how you did.

The solution? Use these programs, if you find them helpful, but make a point of using them in a relaxed environment, and try closing your eyes throughout the lesson. I find this helps because it sort of forces me to sink into the language instead of staring fixedly at some random object while picturing a future stressful interaction.

If you have issues with tension and anxiety when practicing your speaking, you may also find the Michel Thomas Method helpful, which has a basic Korean course available. Thomas popularized a laid-back method of audio learning meant to take the pressure of memorization off the student.

Getting into shadowing.

Another option for decreasing tension with audio courses is shadowing. This guide to shadowing gives a thorough overview, but essentially what you want to do is to start speaking along with the audio as soon as it begins.

This takes away the pressure of trying to spit back a perfect mimicked version of what the speaker said after they finish. It also forces you to speak at a regular pace, so you don’t have time to worry about shaping your pronunciation exactly right.

Not trying so hard to copy a native speaker can actually result in better pronunciation, and that better pronunciation is more likely to kick in naturally in a real-life situation since it was learned with a more natural approach.

Depending on what programs and audio you have access to, you can use shadowing in conjunction with sentence mining to drill useful sentences. 50Languages is wonderful for this purpose for beginners (but again, can be used by more advanced learners who need to work on speaking), as it gives you lists of phrases and sentences that you can review with audio individually, or play in succession.

Downloading KakaoTalk.

If you’re going to be meeting and talking to Korean people, you’ll eventually be using this popular app, because someone will at some point ask if you have it.

If you’re looking for a Korean language exchange partner or trying to make Korean friends online, you can simplify the process by giving out your KakaoTalk ID—then anyone who’s interested in chatting with you can add you as a friend on the app.

Even if you only use the text features on KakaoTalk, using your phone to stay connected in multiple ways these days is part and parcel of communicating in general—and that’s especially true for connecting with Koreans, one of the most smartphone-dependent populations in the world.

Having KakaoTalk will help you find and maintain relationships with people who you can talk to in Korean. Even if you don’t use it right away, you’ll feel more confident and committed to your Korean speaking knowing you’re a part of a large app-based community that includes a ton of Koreans.

Speaking in Korean may seem terrifying, but the journey to fluent Korean speech can actually be pretty relaxed.

In fact, that may be a requirement.

So give yourself the gift of enjoyable Korean speaking practice.

Elisabeth Cook is a freelance writer who spends too much time writing and therefore doesn’t have enough time to spend taking her halmoni to H Mart. You can read more of her writing on her book blog, Lit All Over.

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Embrace Freedom: Try These 7 Independent Ways to Teach Yourself Korean

Welcome to all beginner, intermediate and advanced Korean learners who’ve found their way here!

Let us show you the way to becoming your own, personal Korean teacher.

We’ve lined up the most effective techniques to learn the Korean language, fast.

Contents

7 Tried and True Ways to Teach Yourself Korean

Korean fluency is absolutely within reach, even if you don’t speak more than one foreign language yet. Even if you’re monolingual and only know English. This is still do-able.

Start by choosing which of the methods below best suits you and your interests, skill level and preferred learning style.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1. Master the Hangul

The 한글 or Hangul is the Korean alphabet. It’s been used since the Joseon Dynasty in the 15th century A.D. Composed of 14 consonants and 10 vowels, it’s said to be the most scientific alphabet in the world, mimicking almost every human sound and so precise that it’s extra easy to learn.

Why It Works

Knowing the Korean alphabet is fundamental for reading Korean. In the beginning, you may find it easier to use the Roman alphabet to pronounce Korean words, but you’ll quickly realize that this isn’t sustainable—the quicker you learn the Korean alphabet, the more comfortable and more effective your learning experience will be.

Also, you’ll see that the Roman alphabet has some serious limitations when it comes to Korean, especially considering that it has some very different sounds. In fact, some consonants have three distinctions.

For instance, take ㄱ, ㅋ, ㄲ. The first letter, ㄱ or 기역 (giyeok) has a sound somewhere between g and k. Its pronunciation varies depending on where this letter is located inside a word. The middle one, ㅋ or 키읔 (kieuk) has a sound similar to k, but with stronger aspiration, like very strong k. The sound of the last letter ㄲ or 쌍기역 (ssanggiyeok) doesn’t exist in English, so you must get familiar with it.

In a nutshell, using the Roman alphabet may lead to you making pronunciation mistakes and it’s an unnecessary crutch, so move away from it as soon as you can!

How It Works

Learning the Hangul is straightforward—all you need is to memorize the characters and the sounds that are associated with them! Spend some time hand-writing series of symbols and simultaneously pronouncing their sounds to create an audiovisual connection. Watch this video to verify your pronunciation.

Then, proceed to writing simple words. Make it easy and fun, and keep practicing no matter what your level of Korean is. Don’t stop writing, even after you’ve mastered the strokes and sounds. You need to keep practicing to keep your memory sharp.

Favorite Resources

There are numerous online resources to help you master and conquer the Korean alphabet. The Hangul Wikipedia page provides a very comprehensive overview of the alphabet. Better yet, the Wikibooks Essential Korean Pronunciation Rules is a good synthesis that’s just enough to get you started.

If you get overwhelmed by the abundance of information, Learnlangs provides free mini-courses to help you ease into it gradually. Aside from teaching you the alphabet, their lessons will help you understand how to build a Korean syllable, how to handwrite in Korean and how to pronounce Korean sounds and basic Korean words.

2. Invest in a Good Learning System

Having the right manuals is important on your journey to teaching yourself Korean. Keep it handy and make sure to review it every day!

Why It Works

A language method helps you learn progressively and stay organized. A good language method should have a carefully designed curriculum and gradually introduce new words, structures and idioms by order of complexity. The goal is to enable you to take the time to assimilate new content and to set up the right foundation for the future. Think of these lessons as building blocks!

How It Works

These tips are key to follow, no matter which study system you choose.

Favorite Resources

There’s no one definitive Korean language method. There’s plenty out there, but we’ve got three highly recommended ones you can explore. It’s up to you to decide which one works best for you.

If you plan on using the manual to deepen your understanding of Korean grammar, then the “Yonsei” method is right for you. With a focus on Korean grammar, these books will give you the right tools to know how Korean works on a technical level and to master the ins and outs of Korean sentence structure. For beginners looking for an in-depth, grammatical approach, this may be the way to go, but keep in mind that you can change to another method at any time if this isn’t as stimulating as you were hoping for.

On the other hand, opt for the “Sogang” method if your goal is to speak immediately. With a focus on developing speaking skills, this series of books will help you build the confidence to utter your first Korean words. Rich in content and highly visual, this is a very effective method to teach yourself the language of the Land of the Morning Calm.

3. Watch Plenty of Korean Dramas

Korean dramas are a fun, entertaining way to learn the Korean language and start really understanding Korean culture! Of course—take what you see with a grain of salt. After all, dramas are pretty… dramatic. Korean life isn’t necessarily like this (all the time).

Why It Works

Watching dramas (or any video, for that matter!) is an enjoyable method to stimulate your Korean listening skills and gain familiarity with Korean pronunciation. You’ll also get visual cues like expressions, gestures and scenery to help you glean the meaning. We promise, the more you watch, the more you’ll understand.

Dramas pack a learning punch if you actively use them to study, but you can also use them to learn more passively and casually. They’re so much fun that you’ll replace your English-language TV show addictions with Korean content. That means even more Korean exposure! You’ll quickly develop spontaneous and intuitive speaking abilities just through hearing Korean so much, as long as you do it in a smart way (which we’ll highlight in the “How It Works” section below).

It’s easy to see how watching dramas takes the difficulty out of language learning by making it more accessible and fun.

How It Works

Favorite Resources

TV streaming sites like Viki offer a large selection of Korean dramas with complete seasons, perfect for binge-watching. The site is free with ads, but you have the option to subscribe to the service and skip them altogether if you prefer. This isn’t a language learning site per se, so you may need to put in some effort to learn from the videos and find some structure to them.

Netflix can also prove a fantastic resource to teach yourself Korean. Like Viki, there are no accompanying lessons and the Korean subtitles are often closed captioned (and therefore, not always 100% accurate), but it’s a perfect option if you’re already a Netflix subscriber. The streaming service’s Korean drama selection is ever-growing!

Watching authentic content is an excellent way of learning: it exposes you to the language in a way that you’ll never get from textbooks, and you’ll pick up more natural pronunciation, increase your vocabulary knowledge and even learn cultural shades as a result. But while it’s effective, it’s not very efficient to be constantly trawling the web for appropriate videos and switching between different online dictionaries to make sense of it all.

The language program FluentU aims to make this seamless by curating short, authentic and engaging Korean videos—covering everything from vlogs to news reports to inspiring talks—and adding learning tools.

Each video comes complete with interactive subtitles (just tap a word to uncover detailed information about it), multimedia flashcards and personalized quizzes which even include speaking questions. The video dictionary is also super handy for showing how words are used in action in different contexts, something which many dictionaries lack.

These tools help you learn both faster and more efficiently than if you were to attempt it alone, and the program comes as iOS and Android apps—which make for easy watching on the go.

4. Join Language Exchange Communities

Language exchange communities are great platforms to learn about the language and the culture of the country you’re interested in.

Why It Works

Aside from building friendships, the importance of human interaction in this community is what helps get results. Communities help foster long-term commitment to learn the Korean language. Think of it as an extra motivational tool.

Oh! And one of the perks of being involved? It can be completely free!

If you’re after a bit of help to get over some potential nerves of a language exchange, check out the video below. You’ll learn 10 handy conversation starters to make sure that you keep the conversation going and impress your new friend.

How It Works

Language exchange communities are based on mutual learning exchanges. Share your native language with a native Korean speaker, and then let them teach you Korean. You don’t necessarily “teach” each other, either. You can when the situation calls for a quick explanation, but the purpose is more to have a casual conversation together in each language. Usually, you’ll arrange to have a 50/50 split, where each language is spoken for 50% of your conversation.

This is ideal for practicing listening and speaking, but also works if you want more structure. Communicate in advance to find a partner who you get along with and who wants to practice regularly, and spend two to three times a week on the platform of your choice for maximum efficiency.

Favorite Resources

eXlogue is a language exchange community backed by Harvard Innovation Lab. If you’re interested in one-on-one Korean lessons, this is quite possibly your best bet!

Entirely free and easy to use, eXlogue lets you find native partners interested in teaching you their language in exchange for teaching them your own. Concretely, the platform fast-tracks your learning experience and makes it more personal and human by connecting you with Korean natives.

In addition, you receive support and motivation from an inclusive community of language learners. Share about your learning experience, put yourself there to practice whenever you want and hear feedback from experts and other language learners!

Speaky lets you browse through a community of Korean language partners to instantly practice Korean, as well as share your own language and culture with a Korean learner. You can chat or make phone calls with one of the numerous speakers connected online at any time, for free.

Also, the platform lets you find the Korean language partner of your choice by selecting their preferences, habits and more.

Interpals is another great way to meet Korean natives and make Korean friends. If you aren’t quite ready to practice speaking just yet, they also have a penpals program worth checking out.

You can quickly browse through their vast library of users to find a match, and start taking your Korean self-teaching experience to the next level!

5. Use Flashcards

Flashcards aren’t just for middle schoolers. Every learner will find them useful. Read up if in doubt!

Why It Works

Flashcards stimulate your memory through visual association. The idea is to burn information into the brain and develop active recall. Over time, after seeing it so many times, your brain will remember the concept learned from a flashcard.

How It Works

If you’ve decided to make your own flashcards, we recommend keeping it simple. Write a Korean word on the front and its translation on the back. Optionally, you may want to add the word’s Korean pronunciation on the back as well. The latter is important if you occasionally ask a friend who doesn’t read Hangul to quiz you.

Test yourself. Start by reading the Korean word and give yourself no more than three seconds to come up with its translation. When you’ve completed the set, flip the cards and repeat the process, this time by reading the English word and translating it into Korean.

Alternatively, you may pair with a friend. If they don’t read Hangul, ask them to show you the Korean word and, as quickly as possible, give them the English equivalent!

Favorite Resources

The best flashcards are often the ones you make yourself! Rather than buy ready-made flashcards, the best way to make them work for you is to personalize them. Making your own flashcards isn’t complicated: All you need is a piece of paper, a pair of scissors and a pen! No need to elaborate, you get the idea.

The website studystack also has a very extensive collection of digital flashcards so you can always test yourself with new, fresh content. Each card set comes with a printable list, so you can review it, although in a different format, at your leisure.

For fancy audio flashcards, you may want to check out the Learn with Oliver website. It isn’t free, but you get a free trial for 30 days.

6. Listen to (or Discover) Your Favorite K-Pop Artist

K-Pop (Korean Pop) is more than just a global music trend with some of the biggest names and superstars on the planet. It’s also your key to Korean fluency!

Why It Works

By listening to K- Pop, you are placing yourself right in the heart of contemporary Korean culture. Before you know it, you will be dancing, singing and miming along to your favorite BTS song without even realizing it!

In this way, you learn through immersion while staying on top of the latest trends emerging from this genuinely international music phenomenon. This approach gives you plenty of informal vocabulary and keeps you up to date with Korean pop culture. Best of all, you can gush with your Korean exchange partner about your favorite tunes!

How It Works

Language learning with music is a popular method for those wanting to enjoy their study while focusing on boosting their vocabulary. The connection between mood, word mining and memorization creates the perfect environment for a language learner to level-up. In addition to this, brain science shows that we’re more inclined to recall information that’s stimulating, appealing or emotional. With precise synchronized dance moves, catchy melodies and extravagant fashion, K-Pop is sure to keep you hooked (and learning) for a long time!

If you’re a beginner, it’s advisable to start by listening and exploring. Don’t worry too much about comprehension but instead, focus on finding the right music or a group that you enjoy. As you progress, you can start to integrate lyrics in Hangul and with an English translation into your learning.

For an intermediate-advanced learner, activities such as fill-the-gap or predicting the lyrics are a great way to recall vocabulary and practice grammar structures.

Favorite Resources

The website genius.com is a convenient resource for finding lyrics both in the original Hangul and English. You can discover extra content such as annotations from fans and relevant news. There’s also the option of joining a community, contributing to discussions, writing your own annotations and leaving album reviews.

Of course, a quick YouTube search will also yield plenty of K-Pop tunes with English translations for you to sift through, although this approach may require additional steps to create a worthwhile lesson.

7. Build Confidence and Vocabulary with Loanwords

Tackling Korean or any additional language is no easy feat. That’s why, as a beginner, it’s vitally important to start with what you know.

Why It Works

Loanwords are exactly what they describe. Words that have been transferred or loaned from one language to another with little to no modification. While it may not seem like it, there are many English-Korean loanwords.

This situation is sometimes referred to as Konglish or Korean-style English, and it’s a great way to build a sense of familiarity and a common connection between the two languages. As a beginner, one of the primary goals of Korean learning is simple communication: understanding and being understood. These are also two of the most challenging tasks. With loanwords, you can slowly break down this barrier by utilizing modern Korean vocabulary that you already know even if you aren’t aware of it yet.

Loanwords are also a great way to build confidence and start to tune your ear to the difficult Korean pronunciation. You can hear how the original words have been taken and integrated into Korean speech.

Check out 100 words you already know in Korean and note how the pronunciation differs from the original English. Once you’ve mastered this, loanwords are effective, relatively simple to listen for and fun!

How It Works

Start by scrolling through YouTube, listening to native content and asking your Korean exchange partner if they know any English-Korean loanwords. You both might be surprised just how many there are!

Create and continually add to a language chart of loanwords and start building vocabulary in this way. With some beginning phrases, you’ll be able to compile basic sentences using more advanced vocabulary almost immediately from your loanword list.

Whenever you come across a new loanword, add it to your vocabulary list with a special note on pronunciation and don’t forget to write it out in Hangul.

Favorite Resources

First, check out this fun video of a Korean no-English word challenge to get an idea of how integrated English loanwords are to Korean society.

In terms of resources, some great starting places include language blogs with ready-to-go loanword vocabulary lists. Of course, it’s vital to hear just how these words are pronounced, so using a resource that also offers pronunciation like 90daykorean.com is a fantastic starting place.

You’ll find heaps of fun YouTube videos either examining loan words or creating unique challenges for Korean and English speakers.

Now that you know what to do to learn Korean efficiently, all you need is to get started.

So, 3… 2… 1… 시작! (shijak! start!)

Perfect Your Korean Pronunciation With These Exercises

By OptiLingo • 8 minute read

You’re learning Korean to speak it. But mastering Korean pronunciation can be difficult when you’re studying from home. Without someone to correct you, how do you know if you’re learning how to speak correctly? This guide will show you how you can master Korean pronunciation without feeling anxious about your progress.

The First Step Is Always Hangul

You may have heard it a lot, but it’s worth saying again. Learning Hangul first is crucial for your Korean studies. And it’s also crucial for your Korean pronunciation.

Hangul was created to match the sounds of the Korean language. That helps make it easier to learn. Now, the best way you can learn to speak Korean properly is to read Hangul out loud. Remember, Hangul letters were crafted to visualize the mouth and the tongue when you’re speaking that letter. So, just think back to how the letters look as you speak.

Learn the sounds Hangul letters make:

Listen Intently to Korean Sounds

When you’re perfecting Korean pronunciation, take your time to listen to the sounds. Repeat it often and slow down the video. Listening is a crucial part of language learning. The more you hear the sounds of words, the more familiar they will be to you. If you do this, then recreating them afterward won’t be as challenging.

So, how do you go about developing an ear for Korean? The key is to get immediate feedback and understand exactly what sounds you hear along with what each sound is. This is most often done by over-enunciating unique sounds to contrast them from other sounds. Through slow, steady practice, you can also refine your pronunciation using this technique.

Remember Korean Syllables When Speaking

Korean is a syllable-timed language. Meaning that every syllable in a word takes up the same amount of time. Unlike English, in Korean, there is no stress on a particular syllable. When you’re speaking in Korean, focus on giving each syllable equal time.

Learn the Best Words for Conversations

If you want to speak like a Korean local, you need vocabulary. It’s not about how many words you know. It’s important to have the right words in your vocabulary. And luckily, that’s not that hard to achieve. 80% of our everyday speech comes from 20% of our vocabulary. This is thanks to the Pareto Principle.

What does that mean for your Korean language learning?

You only need to study high-frequency words and phrases to communicate successfully in Korean. With just 600 of the most commonly used expressions, you can start have meaningful conversations with Korean locals.

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Practice Makes Perfect

When it comes to pronunciation, you can perfect your Korean with plenty of practice. Whether you’re alone at home or in a classroom, take advantage of every opportunity to speak.

And when you’re searching the best Korean language learning app, make sure you choose one that gets you speaking, not typing, Korean. Also, it’s really important to remember that language is a communication tool. It’s meant to be spoken. The only way to do get that practice is to speak. That’s crucial. Without it, you won’t be prepare to speak to locals. Instead, you’re more likely to freeze up thanks to language learning anxiety.

Don’t Give in to Language-Learning Anxiety

It’s common to feel anxiety when you’re trying to speak a foreign language. Every language learner worries about correct pronunciation. But being shy won’t do you any favors.

You need to overcome language learning anxiety. Realize how much it limits your progress. Think of the big picture: you’re learning a foreign language. You’re achieving an incredibly impressive feat. That’s something to be incredibly proud of doing.

You may think that people will make fun of you if you make a mistake. Sure, you’ll probably say something embarrassing or confusing. And people may laugh it off. But nobody will think your incorrect pronunciation is embarrassing. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Any native Korean speaker would immensely appreciate your efforts to learn their language. It’s often one of the highest forms of flattery. So, go ahead and show off your skills.

Master Conversational Fluency

Every language learner wants to become fluent. But it’s important to realize that you don’t need perfect pronunciation to become fluent. However, without practice, you can’t expect to have either. That’s why it’s important to take what you have, and start practicing your pronunciation right away. Proficiency in Korean can come later.

A good trick to use to achieve conversational fluency is to use filler words. You make these sounds every day when you’re speaking English. “Um”, “well”, and “ok” are just a few examples. Korean has its own filler words.

Here are five examples of filler words to get you started:

Filler Word

Meaning

Try These Korean Pronunciation Exercises

When you’re practicing your pronunciation, you may be wondering if you’re doing speaking properly. Without a Korean native to correct you, it’s can be quite hard to know for 100%.

Still, there are plenty of exercises you can do to practice your Korean pronunciation as you wait for the opportunity to converse with a local. Luckily, they’re all very fun, so you’ll barely notice you’re working. Here are some websites, tips, and tricks to help you listen to the sounds and practice your Korean pronunciation:

Use the Forvo Korean Dictionary

Forvo is a great website that functions as a dictionary. They have a lot of Korean words and phrases recorded, so you can hear how they’re pronounced properly.

Take Advantage of Google Translate

Although you should be wary of the accuracy of Google Translate, it’s still a useful resource for Korean pronunciation. Especially if you’re only looking for how separate words are pronounced.

Sing Kpop Songs

Kpop is short for Korean pop music. The songs of this genre are popular worldwide. By listening to these, you can not only gain an insight into modern Korean culture, but you can also practice your pronunciation. As you sing songs in Korean, you’ll grow familiar with forming the sounds of the language. With the best Kpop songs, you can quickly sing yourself to fluency!

Watch Korean Dramas

Korean cinema and TV is of exceptionally high quality. These exciting storylines have some serious binging potential. What’s even better, the dialogues in Korean dramas can show you how native Koreans speak every day. Listening to these TV shows can also help you discover the sounds of Korean pronunciation naturally. And if you want to actively practice, you can always pause the video and repeat what the character said before.

Record Yourself Speaking Korean

It’s extremely hard to hear your own accent. And hearing the intricacies of Korean in your own pronunciation is even more difficult. That’s why recording yourself and listening to your own voice can help you perfect your pronunciation. If hearing your own voice is uncomfortable for you, don’t worry. Everybody feels that way about listening to themselves on a recording. Put any awkward feelings aside and focus on how beneficial it’ll be for your studies.

Talk to a Native Korean Speaker

There’s no one better to teach you Korean than a Korean local. But traveling to Korea to learn a language is a luxury many of us can’t afford. It’s difficult to connect to real Korean natives. Thanks to programs like HelloTalk, you can chat with real Koreans online. Perhaps you can even make some international friends. They’re great resources to help you correct your Korean pronunciation. Play your cards right and you might have some locals ready to show you the Seoul nightlife!

Learn Korean with Pronunciation With the Best App!

Perfecting your speaking skills in a foreign language can be difficult. You want to speak as a local does. And you want to be comfortable with Korean pronunciation. You can achieve these dreams easily with OptiLingo.

OptiLingo offers a convenient mobile language learning app to help you master the language. Based on proven methods, it’s the best way to learn a language. This app gives you the most commonly used words and phrases, so you’re prepared for any situation when the time comes. Most importantly, OptiLingo’s lessons include pronunciation guides, so you’ll know exactly how to pronounce Korean words.

Experience what it’s like to perfect your Korean pronunciation instantly when you Try OptiLingo today!

Wanna Learn Korean? 13 Exciting Websites You Should Know About in 2022

When you start learning Korean, trying to find the right online resources can be overwhelming.

Which one should you choose?

In this list, I’m covering the top websites for learning Korean that you’ll need along your journey to mastering the language.

Contents

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Memrise

While Memrise isn’t exclusively a Korean study site, it has a ton of Korean sections from which to choose. If you’re an absolute beginner who still needs to learn Hangul, head here to begin learning pronunciation.

Choose “Courses,” go to “Korean” and search for “A Lesson Hangul.” Start practicing and listening to the sounds. Using multiple-choice quizzes, you’ll learn the alphabet and even vocabulary words in no time.

FluentU

The FluentU program uses authentic Korean videos for an immersive learning experience.

The program’s library includes a wide variety of contemporary videos featuring native Korean speakers. This means you’ll be able to experience modern Korean as it’s spoken today in a variety of contexts, such as K-pop music videos, commercials, sketch comedy, inspirational talks and more. Learning with this kind of content can help you feel and sound more comfortable conversing, but it can be difficult and sometimes inefficient on your own. FluentU’s learning tools seek to circumvent this problem.

Every video is equipped with interactive captions in English and Korean, which provide you with contextual definitions without leaving the video. You can toggle these on or off to fit your needs and save new words to personalized flashcards.

Personalized, multimedia quizzes help you study new words from your flashcard list as well as after each video.

Especially if you’re also using another course, the FluentU video dictionary can be helpful. After typing a word into the search bar, you can see the word’s meaning in English, how it’s used in written and video context, as well as a memorable picture definition.

The program is available on Android, iOS, or through the web.

Talking2Koreans

Prefer to study from a textbook? Talking2Korean might just be for you.

What began as language activities for a popular language textbook in Australian universities eventually blossomed into a couple of textbooks. The professors continuously revised their content based on ongoing student feedback to make their dialogues as realistic as possible. They did this to get their students to speak to each other immediately and in a natural manner, instead of having them base their learning on traditional polite speech.

Talking2Koreans has mostly free resources, including a couple of eBooks, audio files, vocab lists and self-tests. The textbook “Strategies for Communicating in Korean” can also be found on Amazon.

Go! Billy Korean

Although Billy began his journey back in 2005 and now lives in South Korea, he still considers himself to be a student of the language. Compared to native Korean speakers, Billy has a unique perspective on learning the language. Therefore, he’s able to explain complex grammar forms in terms that native English speakers will understand.

Go! Billy Korean is a great place to start since it’s filled with approachable and entertaining content on language, lifestyle and travel. In addition to the website, you can check out his series of books called “Korean Made Simple,” available in print and eBook formats. You may also download them as audiobooks for free.

Sejong Korean

King Sejong Institute was established by the South Korean government and is now a brand name of Korean language institutes in South Korea and beyond. This agency is all about spreading Korean language education and culture all over the world. Fun fact: The institution was named after the inventor of Hangul!

One of the best parts of this website is the structure of their videos. Concepts are explained in Korean rather than English to enhance your listening skills, immersing you in the language. This can be intimidating for a beginner, but don’t worry—the videos are equipped with English subtitles. And in case you aren’t a native English speaker, or are fluent in any other languages, other language subtitle options are available.

KoreanClass101

While many of its resources require a paid plan, this site has a ton of free material to begin learning basic vocabulary and even phrases. One fun feature is its vocabulary lists, which are often updated for the holidays.

The free material mainly uses audio to teach you. Lesson PDFs, reviews, dialogue audio and interactive learning features are available with a membership only. Either way, it’s excellent for listening practice.

Dom & Hyo

This site is best for beginners who want to learn with colorful illustrations. Dom is an ESL teacher in Korea and an active student. His wife, Hyo, is a native Korean who can double-check his work, so you know you’re getting accurate graphics.

His comics are fun and easy. They’re great to save and have on hand for quick reference. He also has comics describing daily Korean life, which are in both English and Korean. You can practice your reading comprehension here as your level gets more advanced.

Cyber University of Korea: Quick Korean

For those who crave a bit more of an academic setting, I’d recommend the Cyber University of Korea’s own free online course, “Quick Korean.”

While I wouldn’t recommend it for an absolute beginner, if you’re at a stage where you want to move beyond basic vocabulary words, this is for you.

Talk to Me in Korean

Easily one of the most popular online Korean resources, Talk to Me in Korean is an awesome program with native Korean speakers who really understand how to break down more difficult grammar points.

It’s mainly a podcast, but each lesson comes with a PDF of the lesson as well (or you can buy the workbooks in a bundle). While I love TTMIK and listen to the podcasts, I do warn it’s not for a beginner. It’s best to completely know Hangul and build up a vocabulary list before you dive in.

How to Study Korean

This site is an excellent resource for those who prefer more reading and writing versus listening. It’s thoroughly organized into units. With each lesson, they introduce you to new vocabulary before thoroughly explaining a grammar point. They then provide multiple sample sentences for every situation to help you practice it.

I noticed that when I was studying Korean and needed to search for clarification, this is the site that would pop up and be the most useful.

GLOSS Korean

The Global Language Online Support System (GLOSS) is actually a product of the Defense Language Institute (DLI), part of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). One of its main objectives is training American personnel in foreign languages, and Korean is one of them.

GLOSS Korean is definitely for the more advanced learner as it bases its lessons off of real material like newspapers or television shows to really ensure fluency. This is also great if you want more serious reading to test your comprehension.

Naver or Daum Webtoons

Webtoons are an incredibly popular form of entertainment in Korea for all ages. If you prefer something more lighthearted, start scrolling through the hundreds of webtoons available on Korea’s two main search platforms, Naver and Daum. Important to note: Webtoons are designed more for mobile devices than your laptop.

Naver or Daum Blogs

Another resource to use is the multitude of blogs on these same platforms. Look for topics that interest you and change the search to 블로그 (blog). You’ll be able to find something that interests you and get an understanding of how Koreans might write or speak. This is great to pair with the more formal GLOSS, as you’ll come to understand the way a typical Korean speaks.

Study Tips for Making the Most of Learning Korean Online

Well, there you have it! A collection of amazing websites for learning Korean to bring you from total beginner to fluent speaker.

These sites will give you a range of options for whichever part of language learning you want to focus on—listening, writing, speaking or reading.

Samantha is a freelancer and travel blogger. She majored in Spanish as an undergraduate and taught English in Korea for two years while studying the language. Check out her adventures over at There She Goes Again.