Lesson Objectives
- Recognise and name the first 7 Korean consonants
- Understand how each consonant sounds at the start of a syllable
- Combine today's consonants with vowels from Lesson 1 to form syllables
- Read 10 real Korean words using only Lesson 1 + 2 characters
- Trace each consonant with correct stroke order
Quick recall from Lesson 1
Before we add consonants, confirm you can read these vowels without thinking: 아 야 어 여 오 요 우 유 으 이. If any feel uncertain, spend 2 minutes on your flashcards now — this lesson builds directly on top of them.
자음 — The First Seven
Korean has 14 basic consonants. Today covers the first seven. Each card below shows the character — click it to reveal how it sounds and a memory hint.
👆 Click any card to reveal the sound and pronunciation tip
At end of syllable: "k" voiced → unvoiced
At end of syllable: "t" voiced → unvoiced
At end of syllable: "p" voiced → unvoiced
Three consonants change depending on where they sit
In Korean, ㄱ, ㄷ, and ㅂ are voiced (use your voice box) at the start of a syllable — but when they fall at the end, the voice shuts off. This isn't optional; it's just how Korean mouths work. Don't overthink it — it will happen naturally as you hear more Korean.
| Consonant | Start of syllable | End of syllable | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | g (voiced) | k (unvoiced) | 가 (ga) vs 국 (guk) |
| ㄷ | d (voiced) | t (unvoiced) | 다 (da) vs 맏 (mat) |
| ㅂ | b (voiced) | p (unvoiced) | 바 (ba) vs 밥 (bap) |
| ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅅ, ㄹ | Don't change — same sound in all positions | 나 (na) · 마 (ma) | |
Now combine them with your vowels
Take any consonant from today and any vowel from Lesson 1. Stack them using the rules you already know — consonant + vertical vowel side by side, consonant + horizontal vowel top and bottom.
Horizontal vowels (오 요 우 유 으) → consonant on top, vowel on bottom: 고 노 도 로 모 보 소
Try reading these syllables
Click each character to check yourself — the romanization appears on tap.
단어 — 10 Words You Can Now Read
Every word below uses only the consonants from today plus the vowels from Lesson 1. The highlighted character in each word is one of today's seven consonants — see if you can spot it before reading the romanization.
쓰기 연습 — Trace the Consonants
Stroke order matters. For every consonant: top to bottom, left to right. The first box in each row shows a faint guide.
Why Koreans Say Their Last Name First
When Koreans introduce themselves, the family name comes first — so 김민준 (Kim Min-jun) leads with 김, not 민준. Most Korean family names are just one syllable (김, 이, 박, 최, 정 are the five most common). Now that you know ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ — you can already read the start of most Korean surnames. 김 (gim) uses ㄱ. 나 (na) uses ㄴ. 박 (bak) uses ㅂ. You're already reading real names.
📚 Lesson 2 Homework
Before Lesson 3…
Write each of today's 7 consonants 10 times from memory. No peeking — then check your work.
Combine each consonant with all 10 vowels from Lesson 1 and write out the resulting syllables: 가갸거겨고교구규그기 / 나냐너녀노뇨누뉴느니 etc. This is the Korean syllable chart (가나다라 table) — a classic study tool.
Add today's 10 vocabulary words to your flashcard deck. Korean on the front, romanization + English on the back.
Look up how to write your family name in Korean — then write it 5 times in your notebook.
Review all of Lesson 1's 10 vowels using your flashcards before starting Lesson 3. Spaced repetition keeps them sharp.