Building Hangul syllables from letters
Korean Hangul uses consonant and vowel letters, but a word does not simply run as a row of separate letters. The letters combine into compact syllable blocks such as 가. Reading a block means recognizing its individual sounds and their arrangement; the shapes of several basic consonant letters also reflect how those sounds are formed.
Questions you could explore
- How does the component-letter level differ from the syllable-block level?
- Where can a trailing consonant fit?
Start reading
- Unicode ConsortiumFAQ: Korean
Unicode explains Hangul syllables and jamo roles.
- Unicode ConsortiumHangul Jamo: character code chart
The official jamo chart contains the component entries U+1100 and U+1161.
- Unicode ConsortiumHangul Syllables: character code chart
The syllable chart shows 가 at U+AC00; these are writing references rather than pronunciation instruction.
- National Institute of Korean LanguageThe principles of forming consonant letters
Explains the speech-organ origins of basic consonants; this is not an explanation of the original vowel design.
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