Master Korean's three-way consonant distinction: plain, aspirated, and tense. Practice minimal pairs to hear the differences that make Korean pronunciation challenging.
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Korean has a sound system that challenges most learners: the three-way consonant contrast. While English distinguishes voiced from voiceless (b/p, d/t, g/k), Korean distinguishes plain, aspirated, and tense.
This isn't just an academic distinction. 발 (foot), 팔 (arm), and 빨 (to suck) sound nearly identical to untrained ears but are completely different words.
Korean Minimal Pairs Overview
5
Minimal Pairs
6
Difficulty Levels
3
Consonant Contrasts
2
Vowel Contrasts
The Three-Way Consonant System
Korean has three types of stops and affricates:
1. Plain (Lenis)
Hangul
Sound
Position Effect
ㄱ
g/k
Voiced between vowels
ㄷ
d/t
Voiced between vowels
ㅂ
b/p
Voiced between vowels
ㅈ
j/ch
Voiced between vowels
Plain consonants are:
Soft and relaxed
Voicing changes by position
Similar to English voiced stops AFTER 's'
2. Aspirated
Hangul
Sound
Characteristic
ㅋ
k
Strong puff of air
ㅌ
t
Strong puff of air
ㅍ
p
Strong puff of air
ㅊ
ch
Strong puff of air
Aspirated consonants have:
Strong burst of air
Similar to English p, t, k at word start
Higher pitch following vowel
3. Tense (Fortis)
Hangul
Sound
Characteristic
ㄲ
kk
Tight, no aspiration
ㄸ
tt
Tight, no aspiration
ㅃ
pp
Tight, no aspiration
ㅆ
ss
Tight, no aspiration
ㅉ
jj
Tight, no aspiration
Tense consonants have:
No puff of air
Tense throat/larynx
Slightly higher pitch
No voicing (unlike plain)
Pronunciation Tip
Plain consonants have no aspiration. Aspirated have strong air puff.
