KoreanSheets
Korean Alphabet Consonants Vowels Syllables Practice
HANGUL · 24 BASIC LETTERS · 1443

How to learn Korean: start with Hangul, one piece at a time

How to learn Korean? Start with Hangul, the Korean alphabet: 24 basic letters, each with native audio, stroke order and a free printable worksheet. Then build syllables, words and sentences — free, no sign-up.

Start with ㄱBuild a syllable
  • Free
  • No sign-up
  • Sound for every letter
  • Printable A4 & US Letter

How Hangul builds a syllable: first consonant + vowel + final

  • First consonant: 19 choices
  • Vowel: 21 choices
  • Final: optional, 27 choices

Each syllable sits in one square block, in one of six shapes. 19 × 21 × 28 = 11,172 possible syllables.

한글

See how the letters were designed

Hangul was created in 1443 so that everyone could learn to read and write.

See how the letters were designed

How Hangul letters were designed

Hangul is not a list of random shapes. Its letters follow three simple ideas, and once you see them the shapes start to make sense. Hangul is the Korean alphabet, and its letters are stacked into square syllable blocks instead of being written in a line. This site teaches it one piece at a time: every consonant, vowel and first syllable has its own page with the sound, stroke order, example words and a printable worksheet.

Five consonants draw your mouth

The first five consonants copy what your mouth does when you say them.

Point at a letter to see which part of the mouth it draws.

ㄱ The back of the tongue rises and closes the throat.

Add a stroke, get a stronger sound

Stronger or breathier sounds add one stroke to the basic letter.

  1. ㄱㅋ
  2. ㄴㄷㅌ
  3. ㅁㅂㅍ
  4. ㅅㅈㅊ
  5. ㅇㅎ

Simplified: the original chart also had an old letter between ㅇ and ㅎ that is no longer used.

Vowels come from three shapes

A dot for the sky, a flat line for the earth and a standing line for a person. Put them together and you get the vowels.

skyearthperson

Many Korean phones type vowels the same way (the Cheonjiin keyboard).

In today's letters the dot is written as a short stroke.

See all 19 consonants

Now see all 40 letters

All 40 letters at a glance

Start with the Korean alphabet chart, then learn the 19 consonants, the 21 vowels and how they stack into syllable blocks. Every letter has its own page and a free printable worksheet.

Consonants 19

basic 14
double 5

Vowels 21

basic 10
compound 11

Tap a letter to watch it fill in. The arrow opens its lesson.

Open the Korean alphabet chart

You can already read some Korean words

You can already read these words

Many Korean words are borrowed from English. Sound out the letters and you will recognise them.

Learn the first 14 syllables

Here is how every lesson works

Every lesson, four steps

Each consonant, vowel and syllable has its own page with the same four steps.

  1. 1

    Listen

    Every letter page plays the sound in a Korean voice.

  2. 2
    123

    Watch the strokes

    See the order of the strokes, one by one.

  3. 3
    1

    Trace it

    Trace ㄱ right here with a finger or a mouse.

  4. 4Preview of the ㄱ worksheet

    Print it

    Finish with a one-page worksheet.

Open the ㄱ lesson

Every lesson ends with a worksheet

Print a free worksheet for every letter

Stroke order, tracing rows and practice syllables on one page. Print it on A4 or US Letter for home or class.

  • Preview of the ㄱ worksheet
  • Preview of the ㅏ worksheet
  • Preview of the 가 worksheet
  • Preview of the ㄳ worksheet
  • Preview of the ㅎ worksheet

All 19 consonant worksheets All 21 vowel worksheets All 14 syllable worksheets

Then put the letters together yourself

Build a syllable yourself

Pick a first consonant, a vowel and, if you like, a final. The block shows the syllable you made.

  1. ㄴfirst consonant
  2. ㅓvowel
  3. no finalfinal
너

Open the syllable builder

Learn words with pictures

Learn words with pictures

Every picture starts with the letter on its tag. Tap one to open that letter.

See words for every letter

Ready? Your first letter is one stroke

Your first step: ㄱ

Start with ㄱ

ㄱ is 1 stroke. Add ㅏ and you have read your first syllable, 가.

Open the ㄱ lessonDownload the ㄱ worksheet