사잇소리사잇소리 — Why 손가락 Is Said 손까락

When two nouns are compounded, the first consonant of the second one often comes out tense: 손가락 is 손까락, 술집 is 술찝, 글자 is 글짜, 인기 is 인끼. There is no stop in front of it and no rule that predicts it. It simply happens in some compounds and not others.

This is the page to read differently from the other ten. Everything else in this section is a rule you apply; this is a property of individual words, and the only reason it can be taught honestly at all is that the dictionary transcribes it, word by word, and this site read those transcriptions.

단어Words that do this
503
소리 변화Times it fires
804
표준 발음법Standard
제28항, 제30항
예측 가능Predictable
No

규칙The rule

The shape it takes — though not when it takes it.

WrittenSaidExample
noun + noun the second tenses 손가락 → 손까락
사이시옷 spellings the ㅅ is not said, the tension is 숫자 → 수짜
no marking at all nothing in the spelling says so 인기 → 인끼

적용 예Worked through

Every arrow is a rule, and every final form is the dictionary's own transcription.

  1. 사건
  2. 사잇소리 사ː껀
사건 incident, event TOPIK 3
  1. 곳곳도
  2. 사잇소리 곳고또
  3. 음절의 끝소리 규칙 곧고또
  4. 경음화 곧꼬또
곳곳 everywhere TOPIK 3
  1. 본격적
  2. 사잇소리 본껵적
  3. 경음화 본껵쩍
본격적 genuine TOPIK 5

주의할 점Why this one is a list

It is not predictable, and pretending otherwise is what makes textbooks vague here. 손가락 tenses and 손잡이 does not. 김밥 is heard both ways by native speakers and the standard has changed its mind about it in living memory.

Sometimes the tension is written, as a ㅅ inserted between the two halves — the 사이시옷. That ㅅ is not a sound: 숫자 is 수짜, and the ㅅ is a diacritic marking a pronunciation that would otherwise be invisible.

예시 단어Every word in the dictionary that does this

Commonest first. Each links to the word's own row, with its meaning, examples and audio.

The 150 commonest of 503 words on this site that do this

  1. 사건 사ː껀 incident, event TOPIK 3
  2. 성격 성ː껵 personality TOPIK 2
  3. 조건 조껀 condition TOPIK 3
  4. 가능성 가ː능썽 possibility TOPIK 4
  5. 관점 관쩜 point of view TOPIK 4
  6. 인기 인끼 popularity TOPIK 2
  7. 평가 평ː까 evaluation, assessment TOPIK 3
  8. 정권 정꿘 political power TOPIK 6
  9. 성과 성꽈 result TOPIK 4
  10. 손가락 손까락 finger TOPIK 2
  11. 오랫동안 오래똥안 a long time TOPIK 2
  12. 눈길 눈낄 gaze TOPIK 4
  13. 글자 글짜 letter, character TOPIK 2
  14. 미적 미쩍 aesthetic TOPIK 5
  15. 문제점 문ː제쩜 problematic point TOPIK 4
  16. 본격적 본껵쩍 genuine 경음화TOPIK 5
  17. 숫자 수ː짜 number TOPIK 2
  18. 주가 주까 stock price TOPIK 5
  19. 물가 물까 water's edge TOPIK 3
  20. 증권 증꿘 securities TOPIK 5
  21. 눈빛 눈삗 the glitter of one's eyes 끝소리TOPIK 4
  22. 물속 물쏙 in the water TOPIK 4
  23. 평가하다 평ː까하다 to evaluate TOPIK 3
  24. 필요성 피료썽 necessity, need 연음TOPIK 4
  25. 안방 안빵 inner room TOPIK 3
  26. 초점 초쩜 focus TOPIK 4
  27. 헌법 헌ː뻡 constitution TOPIK 6
  28. 머릿속 머리쏙 inside one's head TOPIK 4
  29. 여건 여ː껀 conditions TOPIK 4
  30. 마음속 마음쏙 deep in one's heart TOPIK 4
  31. 시점 시쩜 point in time TOPIK 4
  32. 후춧가루 후추까루 ground pepper TOPIK 3
  33. 문자 문짜 letter, character TOPIK 3
  34. 용돈 용ː똔 pocket money TOPIK 3
  35. 통증 통ː쯩 pain TOPIK 4
  36. 무조건 무조껀 unconditional TOPIK 3
  37. 설정하다 설쩡하다 to setup, to establish TOPIK 4
  38. 술집 술찝 bar, pub TOPIK 2
  39. 영장 영짱 warrant TOPIK 6
  40. 물기 물끼 moisture TOPIK 4
  41. 성적 성ː쩍 achievement TOPIK 2
  42. 햇살 해쌀 sunshine TOPIK 4
  43. 발전시키다 발쩐시키다 to develop, to advance TOPIK 3
  44. 불빛 불삗 light, beam 끝소리TOPIK 4
  45. 엄격하다 엄껴카다 strict, severe 격음화TOPIK 4
  46. 정치권 정치꿘 political circles TOPIK 5
  47. 곳곳도 곧꼬또 everywhere 끝소리경음화TOPIK 3
  48. 밀가루 밀까루 flour TOPIK 2
  49. 한자 한ː짜 Chinese character TOPIK 3
  50. 인격 인껵 personality, character TOPIK 4
  51. 중요성 중ː요썽 importance TOPIK 4
  52. 손바닥 손빠닥 palm of the hand TOPIK 2
  53. 장점 장쩜 advantage, strength, merit TOPIK 3
  54. 기법 기뻡 technique TOPIK 6
  55. 수도권 수도꿘 capital area, metropolitan area TOPIK 4
  56. 햇빛 해삗 sunlight, sunshine 끝소리TOPIK 2
  57. 바닷가 바다까 beach TOPIK 2
  58. 인권 인꿘 human rights TOPIK 6
  59. 증권사 증꿘사 securities firm TOPIK 5
  60. 왕권 왕꿘 regality, royalty TOPIK 6
  61. 나뭇가지 나무까지 tree branch TOPIK 4
  62. 물결 물껼 wave TOPIK 4
  63. 유권자 유ː꿘자 voter TOPIK 6
  64. 물고기 물꼬기 fish TOPIK 2
  65. 전적 전쩍 complete, overall TOPIK 5
  66. 점수 점쑤 score TOPIK 2
  67. 평가되다 평ː까되다 to be evaluated, assessed TOPIK 3
  68. 눈동자 눈똥자 pupil TOPIK 4
  69. 몸짓 몸찓 gesture 끝소리TOPIK 3
  70. 갈수록 갈쑤록 the more ... the more TOPIK 4
  71. 소수 소쑤 minority TOPIK 4
  72. 쟁점 쟁쩜 contestation TOPIK 6
  73. 효율적 효ː율쩍 the utility factor, efficiency TOPIK 4
  74. 가슴속 가슴쏙 heart, mind TOPIK 4
  75. 금융권 금늉꿘 financial institution ㄴ첨가TOPIK 5
  76. 장기 장끼 long term TOPIK 5
  77. 발걸음 발꺼름 step, pace 연음TOPIK 4
  78. 발길 발낄 footstep, step TOPIK 4
  79. 여권 여꿘 passport TOPIK 1
  80. 열쇠 열ː쐬 key TOPIK 1
  81. 요법 요뻡 therapy TOPIK 5
  82. 잠자리 잠짜리 bed TOPIK 5
  83. 절실하다 절씰하다 to be urgent TOPIK 6
  84. 땅속 땅쏙 underground TOPIK 3
  85. 몰두하다 몰뚜하다 to be absorbed in, to devote oneself to TOPIK 5
  86. 불신 불씬 disbelief, distrust, perfidy, unbelief TOPIK 5
  87. 선수권 선ː수꿘 championship, a title match TOPIK 5
  88. 운동권 운ː동꿘 a student/labor organization TOPIK 5
  89. 호수 호ː쑤 lake TOPIK 2
  90. 단점 단ː쩜 weak point TOPIK 3
  91. 뒷받침하다 뒤ː빧침하다 to support TOPIK 5
  92. 요건 요껀 requirement TOPIK 6
  93. 사적 사쩍 private TOPIK 3
  94. 상대성 상대썽 relativity TOPIK 5
  95. 울음소리 우름쏘리 crying sound 연음TOPIK 4
  96. 젓가락 저까락 chopsticks TOPIK 2
  97. 참되다 참뙤다 to be truthful TOPIK 6
  98. 길가 길까 roadside TOPIK 4
  99. 발가락 발까락 toe TOPIK 2
  100. 하룻밤 하루빰 one night TOPIK 6
  101. 여덟도 여덜또 eight 자음군TOPIK 1
  102. 일제히 일쩨히 at once, all together TOPIK 6
  103. 차이점 차이쩜 a point of difference TOPIK 3
  104. 햇볕 해뼏 sunshine, warmth from the sun 끝소리TOPIK 3
  105. 달성하다 달썽하다 to achieve, attain TOPIK 4
  106. 발자국 발짜국 footprint TOPIK 4
  107. 대권 대ː꿘 great circle, prerogative, royal prerogative, supremacy TOPIK 6
  108. 일관성 일관썽 coherency, consistency, unity TOPIK 6
  109. 생산성 생산썽 productivity TOPIK 6
  110. 인간성 인간썽 human nature TOPIK 4
  111. 화염병 화ː염뼝 molotov cocktail TOPIK 6
  112. 종소리 종쏘리 sound of a bell TOPIK 6
  113. 어젯밤 어제빰 last night TOPIK 2
  114. 중점 중ː쩜 emphasis TOPIK 6
  115. 감수성 감ː수썽 receptivity or susceptibility TOPIK 6
  116. 노골적 노골쩍 explicit, frank TOPIK 6
  117. 술잔 술짠 a glass for alcohol TOPIK 3
  118. 정신과 정신꽈 psychiatry TOPIK 5
  119. 설정 설쩡 setting TOPIK 4
  120. 주권 주꿘 sovereignty TOPIK 6
  121. 채권 채ː꿘 security TOPIK 6
  122. 특수성 특쑤썽 particularity, distinctiveness 경음화TOPIK 6
  123. 그럴듯하다 그럴뜨타다 plausible 격음화TOPIK 6
  124. 소유권 소ː유꿘 the right of possession, rights of ownership, proprietary rights TOPIK 6
  125. 손길 손낄 an outstretched hand TOPIK 4
  126. 효율성 효ː율썽 efficiency TOPIK 6
  127. 꿈속 꿈쏙 in a dream TOPIK 4
  128. 만점 만쩜 perfect score TOPIK 4
  129. 타당성 타ː당썽 validity TOPIK 6
  130. 달빛 달삗 moonlight 끝소리TOPIK 4
  131. 뒷산 뒤ː싼 mountain or hill at the back TOPIK 4
  132. 산속 산쏙 the heart of a mountain TOPIK 4
  133. 일손 일ː쏜 work in hand TOPIK 4
  134. 점심시간 점ː심씨간 lunchtime TOPIK 2
  135. 문구 문꾸 phrase TOPIK 5
  136. 불면증 불면쯩 insomnia TOPIK 5
  137. 태권도 태꿘도 taekwondo TOPIK 1
  138. 방바닥 방빠닥 the floor of a room TOPIK 4
  139. 창가 창까 by the window TOPIK 3
  140. 판소리 판쏘리 pansori (a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer) TOPIK 5
  141. 광기 광끼 madness TOPIK 6
  142. 눈가 눈까 the eye rims TOPIK 3
  143. 빗줄기 비쭐기 great streaks of rain TOPIK 6
  144. 아랫배 아래빼 underbelly TOPIK 6
  145. 편법 편뻡 expedient, the easy route or way TOPIK 6
  146. 길거리 길꺼리 street TOPIK 4
  147. 단적 단쩍 frank, straightforward TOPIK 6
  148. 몸집 몸찝 build TOPIK 6
  149. 방사성 방ː사썽 radioactivity TOPIK 6
  150. 손등 손뜽 back of the hand TOPIK 3

다른 규칙The other rules

All 11 pronunciation rules ›

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

Why is 손가락 pronounced 손까락 when there is no ㄱ or ㅂ in front of it?

Because it is a compound — 손 plus 가락 — and Korean compounds often tense the start of their second half. It is not the regular tensing rule, which needs a stop in front of it; it is a property of this particular compound, and 손잡이, built the same way, does not do it.

What is the ㅅ in 숫자 doing?

Marking the tension, not making a sound. It is the 사이시옷, written between the halves of some compounds to record that the second half is tensed. 숫자 is said 수짜 — the ㅅ itself is never pronounced as ㅅ.

Pronunciations, audio and example words from the 국립국어원 한국어기초사전, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.