Ra (라) in Korean: the Syllable 라
라 is a Korean syllable block read ra, built from ㄹ + ㅏ. See 라디오 and 라면 as examples, trace 라 in 5 strokes, print the 라 worksheet for free.
How do you read and write Ra (라)?
Written 라, ra in Korean (often searched as “la in Korean”) combines ㄹ with ㅏ (a) and is drawn in 5 strokes. Words that begin with it include 라디오 (radio) and 라면 (instant noodles).
Ra 라: reading, parts and strokes
라 RaKorean syllable block
라 is read ra: ㄹ + ㅏ.
라 at a glance
Two ways to remember 라
Look
Words with 라
instant noodles
radio
카camera- lilac
Sound: ra.
How the block 라 is built
How to read 라
라라 is romanized ra. The ㄹ is a quick flap of the tongue tip, as in 라면 (ramyeon), not the English r.
The opening letter ㄹ supplies the first sound and ㅏ finishes the block, giving ra.
At the start of a block the ㄹ is a quick tap, closer to the quick tap in the middle of “butter” than to the English r or l.
How to write 라 stroke by stroke
Trace Ra 라 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
Draw a line to the right and turn down, like ㄱ, in the upper part. Then from the left, draw the middle line to the right so it meets the bottom of the first stroke. Then start at the left end of the middle line, go down, then turn and draw the bottom line to the right.
Finish with ㅏ (a) beside it: draw one tall line down, then a short arm halfway along it.
The block needs five strokes in all, 3 for ㄹ and 2 for ㅏ.
Few native words start with 라, but many end with it: 나라 (country), 우리나라 (our country), 드라마 (drama), 카메라 (camera). Practice it at the end of words.
A common slip with 라
How 라 is used
A native Korean word rarely begins with ㄹ, so 라 appears mostly in borrowed words such as 라디오 (radio) and 라면 (instant noodles). That is a useful clue when you guess whether a word is old or new.
The opening consonant of this block is made with the tip of the tongue, and its sound is like r, as in river (l at the end of a syllable).
라 with a final consonant
| Block | Reading | Final |
|---|---|---|
| 락 | rak | ㄱ = k |
| 란 | ran | ㄴ = n |
| 랄 | ral | ㄹ = l |
| 람 | ram | ㅁ = m |
| 랍 | rap | ㅂ = p |
| 랑 | rang | ㅇ = ng |
For 라 (la), put a consonant under the block and the reading gains an ending: 락 (rak), 란 (ran), 랄 (ral), 람 (ram), 랍 (rap), 랑 (rang).
In the case of 라 (la), the endings reduce to these sounds: ㄱ = k, ㄴ = n, ㄹ = l, ㅁ = m, ㅂ = p, ㅇ = ng.
Put ㄱ at the bottom of 라 for 락 (rak), closing on a quiet k. Put ㄴ at the bottom of 라 for 란 (ran), closing on a hummed n. Put ㄹ at the bottom of 라 for 랄 (ral), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Put ㅁ at the bottom of 라 for 람 (ram), closing on a lip-closed m. Put ㅂ at the bottom of 라 for 랍 (rap), closing on a lip-closed p. Put ㅇ at the bottom of 라 for 랑 (rang), closing on the ng of song.
ㄹ with other vowels
The consonant ㄹ (rieul) stays the same in this row while the vowel changes: 라 (ra), 러 (reo), 로 (ro), 루 (ru), 르 (reu), 리 (ri).
라 next to 다 and 마
Compare 라 too with 다 (da): that consonant is made with the tip of the tongue and gives a light breath.
Words that start with 라
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 라켓 | ra-ket | racket (noun) |
| 나라 | na-ra | country (noun) |
| 보라색 | bo-ra-saek | purple (noun) |
The word 라디오 (radio) opens with 라 and sounds like ra-di-o.
The word 라면 (instant noodles) opens with 라 and sounds like ra-myeon.
The word 라일락 (lilac) opens with 라 and sounds like ra-il-lak.
The word 라켓 (racket) opens with 라 and sounds like ra-ket.
라 writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean syllable tracing worksheet: 라 (la)
The one-page Ra 라 sheet builds 라 (ra) from ㄹ + ㅏ, traces it, writes ㄹ with other vowels (라 러 로 루 르 리) and ends with a game of finding 라.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 104 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Build 라 from ㄹ + ㅏ, trace it, then write it on your own.
Practice 라
Try it yourself
Put Ra 라, ra, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with 라 ready
라 (Ra) — FAQ
Is 라 ra or la in Korean?
Read 라 as ra, with ㄹ first and ㅏ after it.
Which letters make up 라?
라 is made of ㄹ and ㅏ. ㄹ is written first and ㅏ next to it, so the block reads left to right.
How do you write 라 stroke by stroke?
라 takes 5 strokes: 3 for ㄹ and 2 for ㅏ. Start with ㄹ on the left and finish with ㅏ on the right.
How do you say 라 in Korean?
라 is ra, with a light flap of the tongue tip like the tt in American 'water', as in 라면 (ramen).
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