Ssang Jieut (ㅉ) – Korean Consonant 쌍지읒
ㅉ (Ssang Jieut, 쌍지읒) is a tight jj that never closes a syllable. See 짜장면 and 짬뽕 as example words, trace ㅉ in 4 strokes, print the ㅉ worksheet for free.
What is Ssang Jieut (ㅉ) in Korean?
Ssang Jieut (ㅉ) is called 쌍지읒 in Korean and is a tight jj that never closes a syllable. Write ㅉ in 4 strokes; the sound is made with the teeth ridge, and it counts as a double consonant, written as ㅈ twice. Try it in 짜장면 (black-bean noodles) and 짬뽕 (spicy seafood noodles). It only ever opens a block and never closes one.
Ssang Jieut ㅉ: sound, strokes, series and finals
ㅉ Ssang JieutKorean consonant · double
Ssang Jieut is jj at the start of a syllable and null at the end.
Ssang Jieut (ㅉ) at a glance
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | 쌍지읒 (ssangjieut) |
| Sound at the start | jj — a tight burst |
| Sound at the end | not used as a final consonant |
| Strokes | 4 |
| Group | double consonant |
| Made with | the teeth ridge |
| Example words | 짜장면 (black-bean noodles), 짝 (partner) |
Two ways to remember ㅉ
Shape
Words that start with 
How to say ㅉ
쌍지읒ㅉ is a tense j: press the tongue firmly behind the upper teeth, tighten the throat and release sharply with no breath. The vowel after it starts on a high, clear pitch.
ㅉ appears only at the start of a syllable and is romanized jj, as in 찌개 (jjigae, stew). In the case of ㅉ (ssangjieut), it is never written as a 받침.
ㅉ only at the start
Korean never uses ㅉ (ssangjieut) as a final consonant, which keeps your job simple: spot it at the front of a block and read it with its tight, quick release.
ㅉ also has a plain partner, ㅈ (jieut), which can sit at the end of a syllable when ㅉ cannot.
How to write ㅉ
Trace Ssang Jieut ㅉ with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
First ㅈ, a short line to the right that sweeps down to the lower left.
First ㅈ, the right sweep from the middle.
Second ㅈ, a short line to the right that sweeps down to the lower left.
Second ㅈ, the right sweep from the middle.
With ㅉ (ssangjieut), count four strokes when you write ㅉ (ssangjieut), always moving from the top and the left.
Food words are an easy start: 찌개 (stew) and 짜다 (salty). Say 짜 three times fast, then 자 three times, and notice how the tight one sounds higher.
ㅉ and its look-alikes
짜다 (salty) and 차다 (cold) differ in breath: 차다 pushes air, 짜다 holds it. 자다 (to sleep) starts softly with a plain ㅈ.
Learners often say ㅉ like the ch in 'church', with air. For ㅉ, keep the breath in and let the tongue snap away quickly.
Why ㅉ looks the way it does
ㅉ (ssangjieut) stands for a sound made with the teeth ridge, because Hangul's consonant shapes follow the mouth.
Words that use ㅉ
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 짬뽕 | jjam-ppong | spicy seafood noodles (noun) |
| 쪽지 | [쪽찌] jjok-jji | note (noun) |
| 찌개 | jji-gae | stew (noun) |
In 짜장면 (black-bean noodles), ㅉ (ssangjieut) is the first sound of the first block 짜, which is read jja.
In 짬뽕 (spicy seafood noodles), ㅉ (ssangjieut) is the first sound of the first block 짬, which is read jjam.
In 짝 (partner; one of a pair), ㅉ (ssangjieut) is the first sound of the first block 짝, which is read jjak.
In 찌개 (stew), ㅉ (ssangjieut) is the first sound of the first block 찌, which is read jji.
In 쪽지 (note), ㅉ (ssangjieut) is the first sound of the first block 쪽, which is read jjok.
Syllables you can build with ㅉ
With ㅉ (ssangjieut) in front, the vowels give blocks like 짜 (jja), 쨔 (jjya), 쩌 (jjeo), and 쪄 (jjyeo).
Say the whole row, 짜 (jja), 쨔 (jjya), 쩌 (jjeo), 쪄 (jjyeo), 쪼 (jjo), 쬬 (jjyo), 쭈 (jju), 쮸 (jjyu), 쯔 (jjeu), 찌 (jji), and notice that only the vowel moves.
Try it yourself
Pick a vowel and a final for ㅉ and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅉ ready
ㅉ writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean letter tracing worksheet: ㅉ (ssangjieut)
The one-page Ssang Jieut ㅉ sheet shows ㅉ in 4 strokes, traces it, writes it with six vowels (짜 쩌 쪼 쭈 쯔 찌) and ends with a game of finding ㅉ among look-alikes.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 98 KB
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Want more? Get all 19 consonants in one pack
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say ㅉ out loud, trace its 4 strokes, then write it with six vowels.
Practice ㅉ
Try it yourself
Put Ssang Jieut ㅉ, jj, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅉ ready
ㅉ (Ssang Jieut) — FAQ
How would you describe the ㅉ pronunciation?
The ㅉ pronunciation is a tight jj that never closes a syllable. The sound in 짜장면 (black-bean noodles) is the one to copy first.
What is the difference between ㅉ and its plain consonant?
ㅉ is the tense partner of ㅈ: it is written as ㅈ twice and read jj with a tight throat and no puff of air, while plain ㅈ is lighter. Compare ja with jja.
How many strokes do you need to write ㅉ?
ㅉ has 4 strokes: two for each ㅈ, the left one first.
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