This chart provides a reference for the phonemes used in Korean (South Korea) – ko-KR, shown in both IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) and X-SAMPA notation. Each row includes a phoneme symbol, an example word, and a full transcription in both formats.
Korean has a distinctive three-way contrast in stops and affricates: lenis (plain), aspirated, and tense (fortis), which are phonemically distinct and crucial to meaning. The language also features vowel harmony, a range of diphthongs, and consonants that behave differently depending on their position within a syllable. This chart is designed for Korean learners, linguists, and developers working on pronunciation models or speech technology. Syllable boundaries are also included in the reference at the end.
Korean (South Korea) – ko-KR
| X-SAMPA | IPA | Example Word | X-SAMPA Transcription | IPA Transcription |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| p | p | 불 | pul | pul |
| p_h | pʰ | 풀 | p_hul | pʰul |
| p* | p͈ | 뿔 | p*ul | p͈ul |
| t | t | 달 | tal | tal |
| t_h | tʰ | 탈 | t_hal | tʰal |
| t* | t͈ | 딸 | t*al | t͈al |
| k | k | 가다 | kata | kata |
| k_h | kʰ | 칼 | k_hal | kʰal |
| k* | k͈ | 까다 | k*ata | k͈ata |
| s_h | sʰ | 살 | s_hal | sʰal |
| s* | s͈ | 쌀 | s*al | s͈al |
| h | h | 하다 | hata | hata |
| ts\ | tɕ | 자다 | ts\ata | tɕata |
| ts_h | tɕʰ | 차다 | ts_hata | tɕʰata |
| ts* | t͈ɕ | 짜다 | ts*ata | t͈ɕata |
| m | m | 물 | mul | mul |
| n | n | 날 | nal | nal |
| N | ŋ | 방 | paN | paŋ |
| 4 | ɾ | 바람 | pa4am | paɾam |
| l | l | 스쿨 | s_hMk_hul | sʰɯkʰul |
| w | w | 문화 | munhwa | munhwa |
| j | j | 양명 | jaNmjVN | jaŋmjʌŋ |
| i | i | 시장 | s_hits\aN | sʰitɕaŋ |
| a | a | 말 | mal | mal |
| e | e | 베개 | pekE | pekɛ |
| M | ɯ | 음악 | Mmak | ɯmak |
| V | ʌ | 어머니 | VmVni | ʌmʌni |
| u | u | 우리 | u4i | uɾi |
| o | o | 오리 | o4i | oɾi |
| 2 | ø | 교회 | kjoh2 | kjohø |
| E | ɛ | 태양 | t_hEjaN | tʰɛjaŋ |
Stress Symbols
| Function | IPA | X-SAMPA |
|---|---|---|
| Syllable boundary | . | . |