Em Casalena Last updated: How to Start Writing in Korean
If you’re a newbie to the Korean language, chances are you’re looking at 한글 (Hangul) — Korean characters and wondering where to even start.
Hangul is actually a fairly simple writing system once you get the hang of how it works!
You may find yourself able to comprehend it much faster than you’d expect. The six resources on our list will help you conquer writing in Korean quickly and with a bit of fun.
Contents
- Korean Letters
- 1. Write It! Korean (App)
- 2. “Learn Hangul in 35 minutes” (Video)
- 3. Hangeul 101 – Learn Korean Alphabet (App)
- 4. Learn to Read, Write and Pronounce Korean (Guide)
- 5. “How to Write a KPOP Fan Mail / Letter in Korean” (Book)
- 6. Learn Hangeul Wiki (Guide)
- And One More Thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Korean Letters
Before I dive into the resources, here is a quick overview of all of the Korean letters.
Korean is comprised of 14 consonants and 10 vowels, which are the 24 basic characters of Hangul. On top of that, there are five double consonants and 11 complex vowels, which are combinations from the basic alphabet.
| Korean Consonants | Consonant Sounds | Korean Vowels | Vowel Sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | g, k | ㅏ | a |
| ㄴ | s | ㅑ | ya |
| ㄷ | d, t | ㅓ | eo |
| ㄹ | r, l | ㅕ | yeo |
| ㅁ | m | ㅗ | o |
| ㅂ | b, p | ㅛ | yo |
| ㅅ | s | ㅜ | u |
| ㅇ | "ng" or silent in initial position | ㅠ | yu |
| ㅈ | j | ㅡ | eu |
| ㅊ | ch | ㅣ | i |
| ㅋ | k | ||
| ㅌ | t | ||
| ㅍ | p | ||
| ㅎ | h |
| Double Consonants | Double Consonant Sounds |
|---|---|
| ㄲ | kk |
| ㄸ | tt |
| ㅃ | pp |
| ㅆ | ss |
| ㅉ | jj |
| Korean Complex Vowels | Complex Vowel Sounds |
|---|---|
| ㅐ | ae |
| ㅒ | yae |
| ㅔ | e |
| ㅖ | ye |
| ㅘ | wa |
| ㅙ | wae |
| ㅚ | oe |
| ㅟ | wi |
| ㅝ | wo |
| ㅞ | we |
| ㅢ | ui |
1. Write It! Korean (App)
This app is perfect for working on stroke order and the overall composition of Hangul characters.
It features a ton of great memorization techniques, such as taking customizable quizzes and listening to audio clips of the text you’re looking at.
You can also challenge yourself in a game mode. Earn stars to further progress to more complicated characters!
Write It! Korean is also very aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly. Just about any level of learner can use this app and learn a substantial amount of Hangul characters. Best of all, it’s free to download.
2. “Learn Hangul in 35 minutes” (Video)
Sometimes instructional videos can be the best resources for learning how to write in a new language.
“Learn Hangul in 35 minutes – How to Write and Read Korean” from Learn Korean with KoreanClass101.com’s YouTube page is one of the best video guides you’ll find on learning how to read, write and comprehend Korean.
Thirty-five minutes may seem like a long watch, but you may be surprised by all the information you pick up in just over half an hour!
You’ll learn quite a lot about vowels, consonants, double consonants, double vowels, 받침 (badchim)—sound changes and pronunciation rules in the Korean language.
The most valuable thing you can get out of this resource is probably the visual video clips showing exactly how to write Hangul by hand, stroke order and all.
3. Hangeul 101 – Learn Korean Alphabet (App)
Hangeul 101 – Learn Korean Alphabet is a great app for beginners, intermediate learners and advanced learners alike.
You can access the 24 basic consonants and vowels, all 40 letters from the modern Korean alphabet, 16 compound consonants and vowels, and 140 syllables complete with syllable structure formats.
It comes with a Korean keyboard tutor and several dozen basic exercises. You can listen to authentic audio pronunciation clips and word examples, as well.
All of these features cumulatively make up the app’s quiz system so you can study and test yourself over and over. The app is free to use with ads with in-app purchases available.
4. Learn to Read, Write and Pronounce Korean (Guide)
Sometimes a straightforward written guide is all you need to get the hang of a new skill.
This five-part guide from Learnlangs is a great resource to try out if you prefer reading lesson-based guides when learning a new language.
This free guide covers everything you need to know about reading and writing Korean script. You’ll begin with a full breakdown of the 40 letters in the modern Korean alphabet. You’ll also learn the basics of word composition and how Hangul is formed.
It’s rare to find a short and simple guide that can break down exactly how Korean script works! This one is free to access, and beginners and intermediate learners can definitely benefit from giving it a read.
5. “How to Write a KPOP Fan Mail / Letter in Korean” (Book)
This book may seem a bit silly if you aren’t a K-pop fan. I get it. But whether or not you’re in love with the music genre, this Korean writing resource is pretty awesome to have on hand.
This book, which you can buy on Amazon as a paperback book or as a Kindle download, is full of ad-lib templates and mini-lessons on Korean characters and grammar.
“How to Write a KPOP Fan Mail / Letter in Korean” is really only appropriate for beginners and probably shouldn’t be the only resource you have on hand for learning Korean writing and reading.
It’s very basic, but it’s a fantastic introduction to the Korean writing system. It also introduces a lot of information about what’s culturally acceptable in South Korea and what isn’t, which is vital for learners who plan on traveling to the country someday.
6. Learn Hangeul Wiki (Guide)
Collectively written, open-source, accurate and easy to read.
This simple guide from the Korean Wiki Project is great for beginners who need a crash course on writing in Korean, as well as for the intermediate or advanced learner who wants to brush up on the basics.
This guide is broken down into six steps. You’ll go through all the basics of Hangul, from a breakdown of the history of the written Korean language to consonants to vowels to 받침.
There’s also a separate section available for advanced learners to learn about obsolete letters, word spacing and consonant assimilation. Talk about a comprehensive guide!
I understand the importance of having a variety of resources available when it comes to learning to write in a language, especially a complex language like Korean.
If you want even more Korean practice, but are interested in learning vocabulary as well, you can check out FluentU.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
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Be it a video, an info guide, a book or an app, everybody has their favorite type of learning resource. This list will come in handy when you’re ready to kick your Hangul skills up a notch, no matter how you prefer to learn!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing...
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Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.
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You can use FluentU’s unique Quiz Mode to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions.
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