A Simple Guide to Reading and Writing Hangul

By Bianca Del Carmen

As founder of Boram Language Institute, I’ve been working diligently to create a Korean language course that teaches you how to read and write hangul. I’m excited to say it’s finally complete! This course is designed to help you read and write Korean quickly and efficiently. Once you master these foundational skills, you’ll be ready to start speaking with confidence and enjoying life in Korea even more.

At first, learning the Korean alphabet might seem like a challenge, but with a little effort, you’ll pick it up in no time. Not only will you learn to recognize and write each letter, but you’ll also gain a deeper understanding of Korean language structure — both in letter formation and sentence construction. Knowing how to read is a game-changer, whether you're ordering at a restaurant, navigating signs, or tackling everyday tasks in Korea.

Let’s dive right in! First, we need to start with the Korean alphabet. I like to break it down a bit differently than most teachers online. Take a look at the Korean Hangul Alphabet Cheat Sheet I created below. You’ll see that the alphabet consists of 10 basic consonants, 5 double consonants, 4 hard consonants, and 10 simple vowels. While there are also complex vowels, we’ll focus on the basics for now. My online course dives deeper into the shapes of these characters and provides helpful techniques for memorizing them.

Looking at the cheat sheet, you’ll notice phonetic spellings under each character to make them easier to remember. Practicing these characters for just a few minutes each day will have you reading like a pro in no time! You’ll also see some characters grouped within vertical rectangles — this indicates that they share similar sounds. This is great news! Instead of memorizing every letter individually, you can start with the basic vowels and build on patterns that connect similar letters.

Let’s take a closer look at the double consonants. They share the same sound as their single consonant counterparts but with a higher pitch and faster pronunciation. As for the hard consonants, they’re simply a stronger version of the basic consonants they resemble. 

Once you start recognizing the letters, the next step is putting them together to form syllable blocks. You might be wondering, "What are syllable blocks?" In Korean, syllables are formed by combining consonants and vowels into smaller units called syllable blocks. Each block represents one syllable. This makes Korean words look organized and square-shaped.

Let’s break it down further by understanding vertical and horizontal vowels. Vertical vowels include ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, and ㅣ. When paired with a consonant, the vowel is placed to the right side of the consonant. For example, "ㄱ + ㅏ = 가" notice how the ㅏ sits to the right of ㄱ.

In contrast, horizontal vowels include ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, and ㅡ. When combined with a consonant, the vowel is placed below the consonant. For example, "ㄱ + ㅜ = 구" here, the ㅜ is placed below the ㄱ.

Mastering these simple combinations is the first step toward reading Korean smoothly. As you practice, you’ll start recognizing patterns and reading with ease. Take your time, enjoy the process, and remember that every small step brings you closer to confidently reading and writing in Korean. In a few weeks, you’ll be able to recognize many consonant and vowel combinations, and you’ll be glad you started now!

I also wanted to mention that Korean sentences are formed a bit differently than in English. In English, we say, "I eat an apple." In Korean, the sentence structure follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) pattern, so it becomes "I apple eat." Let’s look at a couple more examples: "I home go" and "He Korean studies." As you can see, we must remember that the verb always comes at the end of the sentence. It might feel a little strange at first, but once you get used to it, it becomes second nature.

One of the most exciting moments in learning Korean is when everything starts to "click." Suddenly, you’ll find yourself recognizing words on menus or reading signs with ease. You’ll also start noticing Konglish — words borrowed from English and adapted into Korean pronunciation — like "computer" (컴퓨터), "cake" (케이크), and "coffee" (커피). These familiar words make the learning process even more fun and rewarding!

Keep this article as a little cheat sheet for learning Korean. Take it with you when you’re out and about and try to read some of the Korean words around you! Even if you only recognize a few characters at first, celebrate those small wins. They’ll add up before you know it.

If you feel up to it, I invite you to try my Hangul course that can be purchased on our website below. United on the RoK readers can receive a $15 discount by using the code ONTHEROK when you purchase the course! This course goes deeper into understanding Korean characters and provides guided practice, helping you build confidence in your reading and writing skills.

You’ve already taken the first step by reading this quick guide to Hangul, and I couldn’t be prouder. Happy learning, and I hope to see you in the course soon!

Website: www.boramlanguageinstitute.com

Hangul Course: https://www.boramlanguageinstitute.com/hangul