How Hangul works
Hangul, the Korean alphabet, has 40 letters: 19 consonants and 21 vowels. It was designed to be learned quickly, and most people can read it after a few days of practice.
Letters are not written in a line like English. They are stacked into syllable blocks, each with a first consonant and a vowel, and sometimes a final consonant underneath:
- ㄱ + ㅏ makes 가 (ga)
- ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ makes 한 (han)
- ㄱ + ㅡ + ㄹ makes 글 (geul)
A syllable always starts with a consonant. When it starts with a vowel sound, the silent ㅇ fills the first place: 아, 이, 우. At the bottom of a block the same ㅇ is pronounced ng, as in 방 (bang).
The letter groups
- Basic consonants (14). Their shapes come from the mouth: ㄱ shows the tongue at the back of the mouth, ㅁ the closed lips.
- Tense consonants (5). ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ are said with a tight throat and no puff of air. They are the hardest sounds for Nepali speakers, so listen to them side by side with ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ and ㅈ.
- Basic vowels (10). Built from a long line with short strokes: ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, and with a second stroke for a y sound: ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ.
- Compound vowels (11). Two vowels joined, like ㅗ + ㅏ = ㅘ (wa). In everyday speech ㅐ and ㅔ sound almost the same.
How to use the chart
Tap any letter to hear it in a syllable, since a letter on its own is read as its name (ㄱ is read 기역). The panel shows the letter's name and a common word that uses it. Work through one group at a time, then read the example words out loud.
From letters to the exam
The EPS-TOPIK is written entirely in Hangul, and the listening section expects you to recognise words by sound. Once you can read the letters, short daily practice with real exam questions builds reading speed and listening together.