Can you read Hangul? 한글 읽기 퀴즈
Short answer: Hangul is written in syllable blocks. 블랙핑크 is 블 (beul) + 랙 (raek) + 핑 (ping) + 크 (keu) — “BLACKPINK”. Read the Korean, pick the right name, and see how each block sounds.
The letters you need
14 consonants. ㄱ, ㄷ and ㅂ are written g, d and b before a vowel and k, t and p at the end of a syllable. ㄹ is r before a vowel and l at the end. ㅇ is silent at the start of a syllable and “ng” at the end.
- ㄱg / k
- ㄴn
- ㄷd / t
- ㄹr / l
- ㅁm
- ㅂb / p
- ㅅs
- ㅇ– / ng
- ㅈj
- ㅊch
- ㅋk
- ㅌt
- ㅍp
- ㅎh
Double consonants are said tighter, with no puff of air.
- ㄲkk
- ㄸtt
- ㅃpp
- ㅆss
- ㅉjj
10 basic vowels. A short stroke added to a vowel adds a “y” sound: ㅏ a → ㅑ ya.
- ㅏa
- ㅑya
- ㅓeo
- ㅕyeo
- ㅗo
- ㅛyo
- ㅜu
- ㅠyu
- ㅡeu
- ㅣi
Combined vowels you will meet early on:
- ㅐae
- ㅔe
- ㅒyae
- ㅖye
- ㅘwa
- ㅙwae
- ㅚoe
- ㅝwo
- ㅞwe
- ㅟwi
- ㅢui
How a syllable block works
Each block is one syllable: a consonant, then a vowel, sometimes with a final consonant underneath. 한 = ㅎ h + ㅏ a + ㄴ n → han. A block always starts with a consonant, so when a syllable starts with a vowel sound the silent ㅇ fills the spot: 아 = a.
Read a word block by block — 서울 = 서 seo + 울 ul → Seoul. Sounds sometimes change where two blocks meet: 떡볶이 is said [떡뽀끼]. Our pronunciation tool shows these changes for any Korean you type.
Why K-pop names look long in Hangul
A Korean syllable can’t start with two consonants, so English words get an extra vowel, usually ㅡ (eu): “stray” → 스트레이 (seu-teu-re-i), “pink” → 핑크 (ping-keu). Korean also has no f, v or z sounds: f becomes ㅍ, v becomes ㅂ and z becomes ㅈ — Velvet → 벨벳, LE SSERAFIM → 르세라핌, Stray Kids → 키즈.
Study list: K-pop groups
Korean spellings as used on Korean Wikipedia. “Reads as” is the Revised Romanization of the Korean letters.
| Korean | Reads as | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 방탄소년단 | bangtansonyeondan | BTS | Bangtan Sonyeondan — the Korean name of BTS. 방탄 = bulletproof, 소년단 = boy scouts. |
| 블랙핑크 | beullaekpingkeu | BLACKPINK | |
| 트와이스 | teuwaiseu | TWICE | |
| 세븐틴 | sebeuntin | SEVENTEEN | |
| 스트레이 키즈 | seuteurei kijeu | Stray Kids | |
| 에스파 | eseupa | aespa | |
| 아이브 | aibeu | IVE | |
| 르세라핌 | reuserapim | LE SSERAFIM | |
| 엑소 | ekso | EXO | |
| 빅뱅 | bikbaeng | BIGBANG | |
| 레드벨벳 | redeubelbet | Red Velvet | |
| 마마무 | mamamu | MAMAMOO | |
| 투모로우바이투게더 | tumoroubaitugedeo | TOMORROW X TOGETHER | Often shortened to TXT. |
| 엔하이픈 | enhaipeun | ENHYPEN | |
| 에이티즈 | eitijeu | ATEEZ | |
| 소녀시대 | sonyeosidae | Girls' Generation | A translation, not a sound-alike: 소녀 = girl, 시대 = era or generation. |
| 샤이니 | syaini | SHINee | |
| 슈퍼주니어 | syupeojunieo | Super Junior | |
| 베이비몬스터 | beibimonseuteo | BABYMONSTER | |
| 아일릿 | aillit | ILLIT | |
| 라이즈 | raijeu | RIIZE |
Study list: food
| Korean | Reads as | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 김치 | gimchi | kimchi | Fermented vegetables, usually napa cabbage. The official romanization is gimchi, but English spells it kimchi. MenuSum → |
| 비빔밥 | bibimbap | bibimbap | Rice mixed with vegetables, meat and chili paste. MenuSum → |
| 불고기 | bulgogi | bulgogi | Thin slices of marinated grilled beef. MenuSum → |
| 떡볶이 | tteokbokki | tteokbokki | Chewy rice cakes in a sweet and spicy red sauce. MenuSum → |
| 김밥 | gimbap | gimbap | Rice and fillings rolled in seaweed. MenuSum → |
| 라면 | ramyeon | ramyeon | Instant noodles. MenuSum → |
| 삼겹살 | samgyeopsal | samgyeopsal | Pork belly you grill at the table. MenuSum → |
| 냉면 | naengmyeon | naengmyeon | Cold buckwheat noodles. |
| 소주 | soju | soju | Clear Korean liquor. MenuSum → |
| 막걸리 | makgeolli | makgeolli | Milky rice wine. MenuSum → |
| 호떡 | hotteok | hotteok | A pan-fried pancake filled with brown sugar syrup. MenuSum → |
| 붕어빵 | bungeoppang | bungeoppang | A fish-shaped pastry, usually filled with red bean. MenuSum → |
| 잡채 | japchae | japchae | Stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables. MenuSum → |
| 만두 | mandu | mandu | Dumplings. MenuSum → |
| 짜장면 | jjajangmyeon | jjajangmyeon | Noodles in black bean sauce. MenuSum → |
| 삼계탕 | samgyetang | samgyetang | A whole young chicken in ginseng soup. MenuSum → |
| 팥빙수 | patbingsu | patbingsu | Shaved ice with sweet red beans. MenuSum → |
| 치킨 | chikin | chikin | Fried chicken — the English word written in Hangul. MenuSum → |
Study list: places
| Korean | Reads as | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 서울 | seoul | Seoul | The capital of South Korea. |
| 부산 | busan | Busan | Korea’s second-largest city, on the south-east coast. |
| 제주 | jeju | Jeju | The island off the south coast. |
| 인천 | incheon | Incheon | The city with Korea’s main international airport. |
| 대구 | daegu | Daegu | |
| 광주 | gwangju | Gwangju | |
| 경주 | gyeongju | Gyeongju | The old capital of the Silla kingdom. |
| 전주 | jeonju | Jeonju | |
| 수원 | suwon | Suwon | |
| 강남 | gangnam | Gangnam | The area south of the Han River in Seoul. 강 = river, 남 = south. |
| 홍대 | hongdae | Hongdae | The area around Hongik University (홍익대학교) in Seoul. |
| 이태원 | itaewon | Itaewon | |
| 경복궁 | gyeongbokgung | Gyeongbokgung | Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul. 궁 = palace. |
| 동대문 | dongdaemun | Dongdaemun | “Great East Gate” — 동 = east, 대 = great, 문 = gate. |
| 남산 | namsan | Namsan | The hill in the middle of Seoul with N Seoul Tower. 남 = south, 산 = mountain. |
| 한강 | hangang | Hangang | The Han River. 강 = river. |
| 잠실 | jamsil | Jamsil | |
| 여의도 | yeouido | Yeouido | An island in the Han River. |
Questions
How many letters are in the Korean alphabet?
Hangul has 24 basic letters — 14 consonants and 10 vowels. The double consonants (ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ) and combined vowels (ㅐ ㅔ ㅘ ㅝ …) are built from them.
How do you write BTS in Korean?
The group’s Korean name is 방탄소년단 (Bangtan Sonyeondan). Written as it sounds, BTS would be 비티에스.
How do you write BLACKPINK in Korean?
블랙핑크 — 블 (beul) + 랙 (raek) + 핑 (ping) + 크 (keu).
Why is kimchi romanized gimchi?
In the official Revised Romanization, ㄱ is written g before a vowel, so 김치 is gimchi. Kimchi is the older spelling, and the one English uses.
Why do K-pop names look longer in Korean?
Korean adds a vowel — usually ㅡ (eu) — after consonants that English runs together: Stray Kids → 스트레이 키즈, BLACKPINK → 블랙핑크.
Next: K-pop & K-drama Korean quiz — what oppa, daebak and maknae really mean.