The Magic of Hangul (Part 2): How Korean Letters Fit Together

11 May, 2025

Some alphabets feel random.
Letters don’t look like anything. You just memorize.

Hangul is different.

When King Sejong created Hangul, he didn’t just design shapes.
He designed a system where the shapes show you how to say them.

ㄱ, ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅅ, ㅇ

Let’s take a look.

• ㄱ — This is a soft "g/k" sound. The shape shows the tongue hitting the back of the mouth.
• ㄴ — “n” sound. Your tongue touches the top of your mouth, and the shape follows that curve.
• ㅁ — “m” sound. Both lips come together, and the letter is literally a square mouth.
• ㅅ — “s” sound. A sharp edge, like the tip of the tongue.
• ㅇ — Silent when it starts a syllable, nasal when it ends — and the circle represents the throat.

It’s not just symbolic.
It’s anatomical.

You don’t guess. You see it.

When I first learned this, it honestly felt like magic.
I wasn’t memorizing random lines.
I was learning how the mouth works.

No other alphabet I’ve studied — not Latin, not Japanese kana — ever made me feel like that.

Why it matters

If you’re just trying to read words, this might not seem important.
But if you want to speak Korean,
then understanding where the sound comes from is everything.

Hangul shows you.

It doesn’t just tell you what to say.
It shows you how.

What’s next?

If you’re starting to see how Korean letters combine, here’s where to go next:

• Part 1: Hangul is easier than you think
  Korean letters aren’t hard. In fact, they’re easier than English.

• Part 2: How Korean letters fit together
  Letters don’t just sit side by side. They *combine. Here's how.*

• Part 3: Start reading Korean in minutes
  You’ve seen the pieces. Now it’s time to put them together.

• Part 4: You can read these words now!
  A few shapes turn into real words — like magic.

• Part 5: What to say after “Annyeonghaseyo”
  You know how to greet someone. Here’s what comes next.

Want to see how real Korean sounds?

Once you’ve learned Hangul, try picking up Korean through music and lyrics:

• Pookie — And the K-Pop Drama Behind the Smile
• Midnight Special — A Song About Lingering, and a Member Who Never Leaves

← Back to Korean Expressions