경음화경음화 — When ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ ㅅ ㅈ Turn Tense

After a ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ 받침, a following plain consonant is not said plainly. It comes out tense: 학교 is 학꾜, 어렵다 is 어렵따, 있다 is 읻따. The throat tightens, no air escapes, and nothing about it is written down.

This is the change that fires more than any other in the dictionary, and the one that most reliably gives a foreign accent away. A learner who says 학교 with a plain ㄱ is understood perfectly and sounds wrong in a way most Korean listeners cannot name.

단어Words that do this
2,941
소리 변화Times it fires
4,432
표준 발음법Standard
제23항–제26항
예측 가능Predictable
Yes

규칙The rule

Three lines, and they are exceptionless.

WrittenSaidExample
ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ + ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ ㅅ ㅈ → ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ 먹다 → 먹따 (제23항)
어간 ㄴ ㅁ + 어미 the ending tenses 신고 → 신꼬 (제24항)
한자어 ㄹ + ㄷ ㅅ ㅈ the second tenses 일주일 → 일쭈일 (제26항)
ㅎ + ㅅ → ㅆ 좋습니다 → 조씀니다 (제12항)

적용 예Worked through

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

  1. 받다
  2. 경음화 받따
받다 to receive TOPIK 1
  1. 것도
  2. 음절의 끝소리 규칙 걷도
  3. 경음화 걷또
thing TOPIK 1
  1. 있다
  2. 음절의 끝소리 규칙 읻다
  3. 경음화 읻따
있다 to be in the process of TOPIK 1

주의할 점What is usually got wrong

The stop rule is automatic and needs no thought; the other three are conditioned by grammar rather than by sound, and that is where it stops being predictable from the spelling alone. 신고 from 신다 is 신꼬, but 신고 meaning a report is 신고. Same letters, different word, different sound.

The Sino-Korean ㄹ rule (제26항) is the one worth knowing consciously: in a word written with hanja, ㄷ, ㅅ and ㅈ after a ㄹ are always tense. 일주일, 발달, 절대 — no exceptions, and it covers a great deal of the vocabulary from 3급 upwards.

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 2,941 words on this site that do this

  1. 것도 걷또 thing 끝소리TOPIK 1
  2. 있다 읻따 to be in the process of 끝소리TOPIK 1
  3. 없다 업ː따 to have none 자음군TOPIK 1
  4. 않습니다 안씀니다 to not do something 비음화TOPIK 3
  5. 같다 갇따 to be the same 끝소리TOPIK 1
  6. 그렇습니다 그러씀니다 to be like that 비음화TOPIK 1
  7. 많습니다 만ː씀니다 many, much, a lot 비음화TOPIK 1
  8. 좋습니다 조ː씀니다 to be good 비음화TOPIK 1
  9. 받다 받따 to receive TOPIK 1
  10. 그것도 그걷또 that thing 끝소리TOPIK 1
  11. 집도 집또 house, home TOPIK 1
  12. 속도 속ː또 the inside TOPIK 2
  13. 앞도 압또 front 끝소리TOPIK 1
  14. 먹다 먹따 to eat TOPIK 1
  15. 생각도 생각또 thought TOPIK 1
  16. 어떻습니다 어떠씀니다 to be how, in what state 비음화TOPIK 1
  17. 듣다 듣따 to listen, to hear TOPIK 1
  18. 싶다 십따 to want 끝소리TOPIK 1
  19. 이렇습니다 이러씀니다 to be like this 비음화TOPIK 2
  20. 곳도 곧또 place 끝소리TOPIK 1
  21. 학교 학꾜 school TOPIK 1
  22. 무엇도 무얻또 what 끝소리TOPIK 1
  23. 국가 국까 nation, state TOPIK 3
  24. 놓습니다 노씀니다 to put, to place 비음화TOPIK 2
  25. 지역도 지역또 area, region TOPIK 3
  26. 모습도 모습또 appearance TOPIK 2
  27. 이것도 이걷또 this thing 끝소리TOPIK 1
  28. 방법도 방법또 method TOPIK 2
  29. 새롭다 새롭따 to be new TOPIK 2
  30. 앉다 안따 to sit, to sit down 자음군TOPIK 1
  31. 갖다 갇따 having, possessing 끝소리TOPIK 2
  32. 찾다 찯따 to find 끝소리TOPIK 1
  33. 교육도 교ː육또 education TOPIK 2
  34. 잡다 잡따 to hold, to grab TOPIK 2
  35. 역사 역싸 history TOPIK 2
  36. 읽다 익따 to read 자음군TOPIK 1
  37. 책도 책또 book TOPIK 1
  38. 넣습니다 너ː씀니다 to put in 비음화TOPIK 1
  39. 어렵다 어렵따 to be difficult TOPIK 1
  40. 죽다 죽따 to die TOPIK 2
  41. 쪽도 쪽또 side TOPIK 1
  42. 학생 학쌩 student TOPIK 1
  43. 쉽다 쉽ː따 to be easy TOPIK 1
  44. 짓다 짇ː따 to make 끝소리TOPIK 2
  45. 밖도 박또 outside 끝소리TOPIK 1
  46. 작다 작ː따 to be small TOPIK 1
  47. 대학도 대ː학또 college, university TOPIK 1
  48. 문학도 문학또 literature TOPIK 3
  49. 높다 놉따 to be high 끝소리TOPIK 1
  50. 묻다 묻따 to ask TOPIK 1
  51. 남다 남ː따 to remain, to be left over TOPIK 2
  52. 기업도 기업또 business, enterprise TOPIK 3
  53. 뜻도 뜯또 meaning 끝소리TOPIK 2
  54. 활동 활똥 activity TOPIK 3
  55. 역시 역씨 too TOPIK 2
  56. 웃다 욷ː따 to laugh, to smile 끝소리TOPIK 1
  57. 얻다 얻ː따 to obtain, get TOPIK 2
  58. 아름답다 아름답따 to be beautiful TOPIK 1
  59. 민족도 민족또 ethnic group TOPIK 4
  60. 듯도 듣또 as if, seeming like 끝소리TOPIK 5
  61. 입도 입또 mouth TOPIK 1
  62. 과학도 과학또 science TOPIK 3
  63. 결국도 결국또 in the end, ultimately TOPIK 3
  64. 밥도 밥또 cooked rice TOPIK 1
  65. 입다 입따 to wear, to put on (clothes) TOPIK 1
  66. 정책도 정책또 policy TOPIK 4
  67. 적도 적또 time, occasion TOPIK 4
  68. 의식도 의ː식또 consciousness TOPIK 4
  69. 맞다 맏따 to be correct 끝소리TOPIK 1
  70. 맛도 맏또 taste, flavor 끝소리TOPIK 1
  71. 산업도 사ː넙또 industry 연음TOPIK 3
  72. 음식도 음ː식또 food TOPIK 1
  73. 계획도 계ː획또 a plan TOPIK 1
  74. 성격도 성ː껵또 personality 사잇소리TOPIK 2
  75. 계속도 계ː속또 continuation TOPIK 1
  76. 가족도 가족또 family TOPIK 1
  77. 세력도 세ː력또 influence, power TOPIK 4
  78. 발전 발쩐 development TOPIK 3
  79. 각도 각또 each TOPIK 3
  80. 작업도 자겁또 work 연음TOPIK 4
  81. 측도 측또 the side, to that person, in that direction TOPIK 4
  82. 믿다 믿따 to trust, to believe TOPIK 2
  83. 옆도 엽또 side, flank 끝소리TOPIK 1
  84. 입장 입짱 entry, admittance TOPIK 4
  85. 방식도 방식또 method, way TOPIK 3
  86. 깊다 깁따 to be deep 끝소리TOPIK 2
  87. 꽃도 꼳또 flower 끝소리TOPIK 1
  88. 갑자기 갑짜기 suddenly TOPIK 2
  89. 넘다 넘ː따 to exceed, to surpass TOPIK 2
  90. 목소리 목쏘리 voice TOPIK 2
  91. 노력도 노력또 effort TOPIK 2
  92. 능력도 능녁또 ability 비음화TOPIK 2
  93. 자식도 자식또 one's children, offspring TOPIK 2
  94. 사업도 사ː업또 business TOPIK 2
  95. 젊다 점ː따 to be young 자음군TOPIK 2
  96. 옷도 옫또 clothes, clothing 끝소리TOPIK 1
  97. 연극도 연ː극또 play, drama TOPIK 1
  98. 걷다 걷따 to walk TOPIK 1
  99. 집단 집딴 group TOPIK 4
  100. 직접 직쩝 directly, in person TOPIK 2
  101. 작가 작까 writer,author TOPIK 4
  102. 인식도 인식또 recognition TOPIK 4
  103. 시작되다 시ː작뙤다 to begin TOPIK 1
  104. 개혁도 개ː혁또 reform TOPIK 4
  105. 음악도 으막또 music 연음TOPIK 1
  106. 적다 적따 to be few, little TOPIK 1
  107. 법도 법또 law TOPIK 3
  108. 질서 질써 order TOPIK 4
  109. 담다 담ː따 to put into a container TOPIK 3
  110. 이곳도 이곧또 here 끝소리TOPIK 2
  111. 마지막도 마지막또 the end TOPIK 2
  112. 맡다 맏따 to take charge of 끝소리TOPIK 3
  113. 저녁도 저녁또 evening TOPIK 1
  114. 넓다 널따 to be wide, large, broad 자음군TOPIK 1
  115. 가깝다 가깝따 close TOPIK 1
  116. 외국도 외ː국또 a foreign country TOPIK 1
  117. 열심히 열씸히 enthusiastically TOPIK 1
  118. 약간 약깐 a little, a bit TOPIK 2
  119. 감독도 감독또 direction, supervision TOPIK 3
  120. 삼다 삼ː따 to take as TOPIK 4
  121. 일단 일딴 first of all TOPIK 4
  122. 조직도 조직또 organization TOPIK 5
  123. 재미있다 재미읻따 fun 끝소리TOPIK 1
  124. 막다 막따 to block, to stop up TOPIK 3
  125. 전국도 전국또 whole country TOPIK 3
  126. 계급도 계급또 class, social rank TOPIK 5
  127. 농업도 농업또 agriculture TOPIK 4
  128. 식도 식또 way, style, manner TOPIK 5
  129. 붙다 붇따 to stick, to adhere 끝소리TOPIK 2
  130. 잇다 읻ː따 to connect, to join 끝소리TOPIK 3
  131. 목적 목쩍 purpose TOPIK 2
  132. 대책도 대ː책또 countermeasure TOPIK 4
  133. 발생하다 발쌩하다 to occur, to happen TOPIK 4
  134. 각각 각깍 each TOPIK 2
  135. 잃습니다 일씀니다 to lose 비음화TOPIK 2
  136. 실시하다 실씨하다 to implement TOPIK 4
  137. 싫습니다 실씀니다 to dislike 비음화TOPIK 1
  138. 전략도 절ː략또 strategy 유음화TOPIK 5
  139. 값도 갑또 price 자음군TOPIK 1
  140. 닦다 닥따 to polish 끝소리TOPIK 2
  141. 괜찮습니다 괜찬씀니다 to be okay, all right 비음화TOPIK 1
  142. 각종 각쫑 all kinds, various TOPIK 4
  143. 빛도 빋또 light 끝소리TOPIK 3
  144. 지식도 지식또 knowledge TOPIK 4
  145. 특징 특찡 distinguishing characteristic TOPIK 3
  146. 형식도 형식또 form TOPIK 4
  147. 겪다 격따 to experience 끝소리TOPIK 4
  148. 귀족도 귀ː족또 aristocrat TOPIK 6
  149. 기억도 기억또 memory TOPIK 2
  150. 실제로 실쩨로 in fact TOPIK 3

다른 규칙The other rules

All 11 pronunciation rules ›

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

Why is 학교 pronounced 학꾜?

The ㄱ 받침 of 학 is a stop, and a plain consonant after a stop is tensed automatically. 학 + 교 gives 학꾜, the same way 식당 gives 식땅 and 옷장 gives 옫짱. It is not written because it is not a choice — every Korean speaker does it every time.

What is the difference between ㄱ, ㄲ and ㅋ?

Air. ㅋ is released with a hard puff, ㄱ with a little, ㄲ with none at all and a tight throat. English has nothing in the ㄲ slot, which is why it is the last of the three to click — and why tensing is worth practising as a sound rather than memorising as a rule.

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