Lesson 3 · Basic Consonants Part 2 — Cami Learns Korean
Month 1 · Lesson 3 of 140

Basic Consonants
Part 2: ㅇ ㅈ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ

The final seven. After this lesson you know all 24 letters of Hangul. The entire alphabet — done.

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Lesson Objectives

  • Learn the final 7 consonants — completing all 24 Hangul letters
  • Understand the aspirated consonants ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ and how they differ from their base forms
  • Master the dual role of ㅇ — silent at the start, "ng" at the end
  • Read 10 real Korean words using the full alphabet
  • See all 24 letters together for the first time as a complete system
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Quick recall from Lesson 2

Before we start — can you name the sounds for all 7 consonants from last lesson without looking? ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ. Take 60 seconds and test yourself. Then we finish the alphabet.

자음 — The Last Seven

These seven complete Hangul. Four of them are aspirated — they're the "breathier" versions of consonants you already know. Click each card to reveal its sound and how to remember it.

👆 Click any card to reveal its sound and memory tip

silent / ng Silent at start (placeholder). "ng" at end like "sing". dual role
j Like "j" in jump. Before 이 it softens slightly. j sound
ch ㅈ + strong breath. Like "ch" in cheese. ㅈ + breath
k ㄱ + strong breath. Like "k" in kite. Feel the air puff. ㄱ + breath
t ㄷ + strong breath. Like "t" in top. Puff of air. ㄷ + breath
p ㅂ + strong breath. Like "p" in pie. Strong puff. ㅂ + breath
h Like "h" in hello. Airy and open. Can soften between vowels. breathy h
💡 The aspirated four — ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ Each one is the "powered-up" version of a consonant you already know: ㅈ→ㅊ, ㄱ→ㅋ, ㄷ→ㅌ, ㅂ→ㅍ. The visual difference is that the aspirated version has an extra stroke. Hold your palm close to your mouth — you should feel a burst of air when you say them correctly.

Base vs Aspirated — See the Difference

Each aspirated consonant is built from its base by adding a stroke. The visual logic reinforces the sound relationship — more strokes, more breath.

ㄱ → ㅋ g/k → k (aspirated) 가 (ga) vs 카 (ka)
ㄷ → ㅌ d/t → t (aspirated) 다 (da) vs 타 (ta)
ㅂ → ㅍ b/p → p (aspirated) 바 (ba) vs 파 (pa)
ㅈ → ㅊ j → ch (aspirated) 자 (ja) vs 차 (cha)
Why does this matter? In Korean these are entirely different sounds that change word meanings. 불 (bul) means "fire". 풀 (pul) means "grass". One puff of air, completely different word. Your ear will tune in fast with practice.

All 24 Letters — You Know Them All

This is the full set. Teal = learned in Lesson 2. Purple = learned today. Together they make the complete Hangul consonant system.

Lesson 2 (ㄱ–ㅅ)
Lesson 3 (ㅇ–ㅎ)
g/k
n
d/t
r/l
m
b/p
s
–/ng
j
ch
k
t
p
h
🎉 Milestone You now know all 14 Korean consonants. Add the 10 vowels from Lesson 1 and you have the complete Hangul alphabet — all 24 letters. Most learners reach this point after weeks. You got here in three days. Lesson 4 is about stacking them into syllables with full confidence.

단어 — Read These Words

Every word below uses at least one of today's seven consonants (shown in purple). Try reading each word aloud before looking at the romanization.

ja-da to sleep
ha-da to do
o-da to come
keo-pi coffee
cha tea / car
pa-ran blue
메라 ka-me-ra camera
ta-da to ride / board
sa-jin photo / picture
i-hae understanding
💡 커피 and 카메라 — loan words again 커피 is coffee. 카메라 is camera. Korean borrows from English constantly, especially for modern objects. Once you can read Hangul, these jump out everywhere. The ㅋ at the start is the aspirated k — say it with a puff, not a soft g.

쓰기 연습 — Trace the Consonants

Top to bottom, left to right for every stroke. The aspirated consonants (ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ) each have one extra stroke compared to their base — make sure you're writing that extra line.


🌏 Cultural Note

How Korean Became the Language of K-Pop and K-Drama

The Korean Wave (한류, hallyu — can you read that now? ㅎ+아+ㄴ = 한, ㄹ+유 = 류) began in the late 1990s when Korean dramas spread across Asia. By the 2010s BTS, BLACKPINK and Netflix dramas had made Korean one of the most studied languages in the world. Duolingo reported Korean as a top-five language globally. The script you just finished learning — Hangul — is one reason: it's fast to learn, which lowers the barrier for new learners worldwide.

📚 Lesson 3 Homework

Before Lesson 4…

1

Write all 14 consonants from memory in order — ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅇ ㅈ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ — with their romanization beside each one. This is the standard Korean consonant order you'll see everywhere.

2

Practice the aspiration test: hold a piece of paper in front of your mouth and say each aspirated consonant (ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ). The paper should move. Then say the base version (ㅈ ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ) — the paper should barely move.

3

Add today's 10 vocabulary words to your flashcard deck. You now have ~26 words total from Lessons 1–3.

4

Try reading these words cold — no help: 피자 · 초코 · 허리 · 주스 · 키보드. All loan words. Write down what you think they mean, then look them up to check.

5

Review flashcards for all three lessons before Lesson 4. Lesson 4 is pure syllable-building — the faster you can recall the letters, the smoother it goes.