Lesson Objectives
- Understand why written Korean and spoken Korean sometimes sound different
- Master Linking (연음) — when a 받침 moves to the next syllable's empty initial slot
- Understand Nasalisation — when stop 받침 become nasal sounds before ㄴ or ㅁ
- Recognise the 5 tense consonants (ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ) and when they appear
- Apply these rules to read 12 real words the way Koreans actually say them
Quick recall from Lesson 8
All 받침 reduce to 7 sounds — -k, -n, -t, -l, -m, -p, -ng. Today those 받침 start moving. When a closed syllable is followed by a vowel-initial syllable, the 받침 doesn't just sit there — it shifts. That's Linking, and it's Rule 1 of today's lesson.
Korean spells for meaning, speaks for flow
Korean spelling preserves the roots of words — so you can see what morphemes are present. But when you say words at natural speed, sounds blend, shift, and adjust to make pronunciation flow smoothly. These adjustments follow predictable, learnable rules. There are no exceptions to memorise — just patterns to recognise.
1. Linking (연음) — a 받침 jumps forward when the next syllable starts with ㅇ (silent)
2. Nasalisation (비음화) — stop 받침 become nasal sounds before ㄴ or ㅁ
3. Tensing (경음화) — consonants harden after certain 받침
The 받침 that moves
When a syllable ending in a 받침 is followed by a syllable that begins with ㅇ (which is silent in the initial position), the 받침 slides across and becomes the initial consonant of the next syllable. The spelling stays the same — only the sound moves.
The ㄴ from 한 slides into the empty initial slot of 어, making it sound like 너. The word looks unchanged — the shift is purely in pronunciation.
음악 (music) — the ㅁ of 음 links into 악 making 으막
먹어요 (I eat) — ㄱ from 먹 links forward into 어요
있어요 (there is / I have) — ㅅ links forward and tenses to ㅆ
Stop 받침 become nasal before ㄴ and ㅁ
When a syllable ends in a stop 받침 (-k, -t, or -p) and the next syllable begins with ㄴ or ㅁ, the stop can't hold. It softens into the nasal sound made in the same mouth position.
| Written 받침 | Before ㄴ or ㅁ becomes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ ㄲ ㅋ (-k) | ㅇ (-ng) | Same throat position, but nasal |
| ㄷ ㅅ ㅈ ㅊ ㅌ ㅎ (-t) | ㄴ (-n) | Same tongue position, but nasal |
| ㅂ ㅍ (-p) | ㅁ (-m) | Same lip position, but nasal |
국물 (broth/soup stock) — ㄱ(-k) before ㅁ → ㅇ(-ng). Throat position stays, air reroutes through nose.
입문 (introduction/entry) — ㅂ(-p) before ㅁ → ㅁ(-m). Lips stay closed, air goes nasal.
The five tense consonants — ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ
Korean has a set of five tense consonants — written with a doubled character. They sound like their base counterparts but tighter, with no breath and a more forceful onset. They appear in two situations: as part of a word's spelling, or triggered by a 받침 before them.
👆 Click each tense consonant to hear its comparison
When a plain consonant (ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ ㅅ ㅈ) follows a -k, -t, or -p 받침, it tenses. The stop provides a build-up of pressure that releases as a tense sound.
학교 (school) — ㄱ 받침 + ㄱ → ㄲ. The built-up pressure makes the following consonant tense.
식당 (restaurant) — ㄱ 받침 + ㄷ → ㄸ. Another extremely common word — you'll hear this constantly.
Read these words — apply the rules
Each word involves at least one of today's three rules. Read the written form first, apply the rule in your head, then reveal to check the spoken pronunciation.
👆 Read written form → apply rule → reveal spoken form
Your cheat sheet
| Rule | Korean name | When it applies | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linking | 연음 | 받침 + syllable starting with ㅇ | 먹어요 → 머거요 |
| Nasalisation | 비음화 | Stop 받침 + ㄴ or ㅁ initial | 국물 → 궁물 |
| Tensing | 경음화 | Stop 받침 + plain consonant initial | 식당 → 식땅 |
Why Korean Subtitles Don't Match What You Hear
If you've ever watched a Korean drama with Korean subtitles and tried to follow along, you may have noticed that the written text and the spoken audio don't always match — even in the subtitles. That's these rules in action. Korean subtitles display the standard written form of words (preserving morpheme boundaries), while the actors are naturally applying linking, nasalisation, and tensing as they speak.
This is actually a useful learning tool. Watching Korean content with Korean subtitles — even before you can read fast — trains your brain to connect the written form to the spoken form. Many advanced learners credit Korean subtitle watching as one of the fastest ways to improve both reading speed and listening comprehension simultaneously. Something to look forward to.
📚 Lesson 9 Homework
Before Lesson 10…
Write the three rule names in Korean and English from memory: 연음 (linking), 비음화 (nasalisation), 경음화 (tensing) — with one example word each.
Say these words aloud, applying the rules: 한국어, 있어요, 국물, 학교, 식당, 먹어요, 좋아요. Say the written form first, then the spoken form. Record yourself if you can — the difference should be audible.
Add the five tense consonants to your study notes — ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ — with their sounds. You've seen ㅆ already in 있어요. They'll appear more frequently as vocabulary expands in Week 3.
Watch 5 minutes of any Korean content — drama, variety show, YouTube — and listen specifically for words where the spoken sound doesn't match what you'd expect from the spelling. Try to identify at least one instance of linking and one of tensing.
Lesson 10 is the Week 2 Review — it will test all of Week 2's content: compound vowels (애 에 외 위 의 와 워 왜 웨), 받침 sounds, and these three pronunciation rules. Run through your full flashcard deck tonight.