The Korean Letter ㄲ (Ssanggiyeok): Tense Sound and Example Words

What you'll learn (about 20 minutes, level A0, you only need the plain letter ㄱ first)

• Pronounce ㄲ with a tight throat and no puff of air.
• Write ㄲ as two ㄱ shapes in 2 strokes.
• Distinguish 개, 캐다 and 깨 by ear in at least 4 of 5 trials.
• Read 밖 with a final [k], and say 밖에 as [바께].

What Does the Korean Letter ㄲ Sound Like?

The Korean letter ㄲ sounds like the k in English "sky" with the s removed: a firm k made with a tight throat and no puff of air. Linguists call this a tense (or fortis) consonant, and the IPA symbol is [k͈], where the small mark under the k shows the tension. Revised Romanization, the official Latin spelling system, writes it as "kk".

Start with these words:

• 까치 (kkachi), magpie Play
• 꼬리 (kkori), tail Play
• 꿈 (kkum), dream Play
• 토끼 (tokki), rabbit Play
• 아까 (akka), a moment ago Play
• 깨 (kkae), sesame Play
• 밖 (bak), outside, said [박] Play

The name 쌍기역 adds 쌍 (ssang, "pair" or "twin") in front of the name of the plain letter. It follows the pattern explained on the page about Korean consonant names.

ㄲ is one of the five double consonants, and the page on Korean double consonants shows how the whole group works.

How Is ㄲ Different from the English K?

English has no separate tense k, but you already make the sound in the word "sky". The k in "sky" is not aspirated: the s before it removes the puff. Say "kite" and "sky" with your hand in front of your mouth. You feel a puff for "kite" and almost none for "sky". ㄲ matches the "sky" k, and the aspirated ㅋ matches the "kite" k.

Here is a home test. Hold a thin strip of paper close to your lips and say 까. The paper should not move. Now say 카 (ka, with the aspirated letter ㅋ). The paper should flutter. A second cue is in the throat: for ㄲ, the throat feels tight, as if you were holding your breath just before the sound.

The English comparison has limits. In "sky", the k follows an s, while ㄲ can start a word on its own, and the Korean tension is stronger. Do not try to say "kk" as two separate sounds. ㄲ is one sound, not a long double k. In Seoul speech, a syllable that starts with ㄲ also typically starts on a higher pitch than one that starts with ㄱ, which gives your ear a second cue.

The three k-type letters at a glance:

The next section explains why ㄲ looks like two ㄱ.

Why Does ㄲ Look Like ㄱ Written Twice?

ㄲ is ㄱ written twice because Hangul builds tense sounds by doubling the plain letter. In the Hunminjeongeum Haerye (1446), the text that explained the design of Hangul, this is described as writing the same letter side by side (각자병서, gakjabyeongseo). The doubled shape tells the reader that the sound is stronger and tighter.

The same idea gives ㄸ from ㄷ, ㅃ from ㅂ, ㅆ from ㅅ and ㅉ from ㅈ. These five are the 쌍자음 (ssangjaeum, "twin consonants").

You will also hear the tense sounds called 된소리 (doenssori, "hard sounds"). The letter name ssang describes how the letter is written, and 된소리 describes how the sound feels. They refer to the same five sounds from two angles.

Now that you know how the shape works, here is how to write it.

How to Write ㄲ in 2 Strokes

ㄲ is written with 2 strokes in standard print: one ㄱ, then a second ㄱ right next to it.

1. Draw the first ㄱ: a horizontal line to the right, then down.
2. Draw the second ㄱ immediately to the right, starting at the same height as the first.

Success check: your ㄲ has two identical ㄱ shapes at the same height, with a small gap between them. Neither shape is bigger than the other.

Inside a block, both ㄱ shapes become narrow so that the pair fits into the width of one letter. In 꿈, ㄲ sits at the top, ㅜ under it and ㅁ at the bottom. In 밖, ㄲ sits at the bottom as a final consonant. The most common handwriting problem is writing the two ㄱ at different heights, so keep the top lines level. You can compare ㄲ with its neighbours in stroke order for double letters.

Next, a look at what ㄲ does in different places inside a word.

ㄲ at the Start, Middle and End of a Word

ㄲ is tense at the start and in the middle of a word, and reduced to an unreleased [k] at the end of a syllable. The table shows each position.

A letter at the bottom of a syllable block is called a batchim (받침, final consonant). The glossary entry on batchim defines the term, and a block like 밖 has ㄲ as its batchim.

ㄲ as a Final Consonant: [k]

ㄲ as a final consonant is pronounced [k]: the back of the tongue touches the soft palate, the sound stops, and no air is released. This follows the final-sound rules in the 국립국어원 표준 발음법 (Standard Pronunciation Rules, National Institute of Korean Language), which reduce every final consonant to one of 7 sounds. See the seven final sounds for the full list.

ㄲ is one of only two double letters that can be written at the bottom of a block. The other is ㅆ. The three others, ㄸ, ㅃ and ㅉ, never appear there.

• 밖 (bak), outside, said [박] Play
• 닦다 (dakda), to wipe, said [닥따] Play
• 볶다 (bokda), to stir-fry, said [복따] Play

In romanization, ㄲ is written "kk" at the start (꿈 kkum) but "k" at the end (밖 bak). The pronunciation in 닦다 is [닥따], because the ㄷ after a final [k] becomes tense, a change explained in the section below.

Linking ㄲ into the Next Syllable

When a vowel follows, the final ㄲ moves onto that vowel and is pronounced in full as a tense k. This is called liaison (연음, yeoneum), and the lesson on liaison covers every case.

• 밖에 (bakke), outside, at [바께]
• 밖이 (bakki), the outside (as a subject) [바끼]

This gives a spelling check. If you are unsure whether a word ends in ㄱ or ㄲ, add a vowel ending and listen. 밖에 is [바께], with a tight k, so the word ends in ㄲ.

The next section shows the other place where tense sounds appear.

Where Do You Hear ㄲ without Seeing It?

You hear a tense [k͈] in places where the spelling shows a plain ㄱ, because Korean tenses certain consonants after a final stop. This is called tensification (경음화), and it is described in Articles 23 to 28 of the Standard Pronunciation Rules.

• 학교 (hakgyo), school, said [학꾜] Play
• 국밥 (gukbap), rice soup, said [국빱] Play
• 식당 (sikdang), restaurant, said [식땅]

In 학교, the ㄱ at the end of 학 makes the ㄱ of 교 tense, so the second syllable starts with [k͈]. Learners hear a "kk" there, even though the spelling has a single ㄱ. The lesson on tensification lists the contexts. For now, expect tense sounds after a final pronounced [k], [t] or [p].

Now put the pieces together in a worked example.

Worked Example: Reading 꿈, 토끼 and 밖

Reading a Korean syllable means splitting the block into its parts and joining the sounds. Here are three examples.

Example 1: 꿈 (dream).

1. Split the block: ㄲ + ㅜ + ㅁ.
2. Say a tight k, then [u], then close the lips for a final [m].
3. Join them: [꿈], romanized kkum. Play

Example 2: 토끼 (rabbit).

1. Split the first block: ㅌ + ㅗ, giving an aspirated [to].
2. Split the second block: ㄲ + ㅣ, giving a tense [kki].
3. Join them: [토끼], romanized tokki. Play

Example 3: 밖 (outside).

1. Split the block: ㅂ + ㅏ + ㄲ.
2. ㅂ + ㅏ gives [ba]. The bottom letter ㄲ is a final consonant, so it is read [k] with no release.
3. Join them: [박], romanized bak. Play

Check yourself: if you can read all three aloud without the romanization, you have the core skill. Romanization is only a learning aid shown in parentheses.

Reading is easier once your ear can separate the three k-type sounds.

개 / 캐다 / 깨: Hearing the Difference

개, 캐다 and 깨 form a minimal set: three words that differ only in their first consonant. 개 (gae) means "dog" and has plain ㄱ. 캐다 (kaeda) means "to dig up" and has aspirated ㅋ. 깨 (kkae) means "sesame" and has tense ㄲ.

The vowel ㅐ (ae) in these words is read like the e in English "bed"; the vowel lessons cover it in full.

To count as having learned the contrast, aim for at least 4 correct answers in 5 trials when a friend or the audio plays one of the three words at random. Most learners find ㅋ easy to hear because of the puff, and then find ㄱ and ㄲ hard to separate, since neither has a puff. ㄲ is the tight one. Compare with the aspirated letter ㅋ. For longer listening sets, see plain, tense and aspirated sounds.

The next section collects the errors that cost learners the most.

Which Mistakes Do Learners Make with ㄲ?

Most learners make one of three errors with ㄲ, and each has a quick fix.

1. Saying ㄲ as a long double k ([k-k]). ㄲ is one tight sound. Fix: say one k, with the throat tight, and no pause in the middle.
2. Adding a breath puff, so ㄲ sounds like ㅋ. Fix: use the paper test. The paper should stay still.
3. Writing the two ㄱ shapes at different heights. Fix: start both strokes on the same line, and keep them the same size.

Learners often assume that a doubled letter means a doubled length. Actually, the doubled shape marks tension, not length. A second wrong belief is that 밖 and 박 are different words because of the final: both are said [박] on their own, and only a following vowel (밖에 [바께] versus 박에 [바게]) shows the difference.

You are now ready to test what you have learned.

Practice: Read and Hear ㄲ

Complete these exercises before you check the answers.

1. Read aloud. Say each word and write its pronunciation in brackets: 까치, 꼬리, 꿈, 토끼, 아까, 밖.
2. Listen and choose. Play the clips for the next three words. For each one, decide whether it starts with ㄱ, ㅋ or ㄲ: Play Play Play
3. Write. Write ㄲ three times in 2 strokes, then write the blocks 까 and 꿈.
4. Predict. How are 학교, 밖에 and 닦다 pronounced?

Answers to the Practice

1. 까치 [까치], 꼬리 [꼬리], 꿈 [꿈], 토끼 [토끼], 아까 [아까], 밖 [박]. Only the last one differs from the spelling.
2. The order of the clips is 깨 (ㄲ), 캐다 (ㅋ), 개 (ㄱ). If you got two of three, repeat the paper test and listen again.
3. Your ㄲ should have two matching ㄱ shapes at the same height.
4. 학교 is [학꾜], 밖에 is [바께], and 닦다 is [닥따].

Review the letter with the other consonants in the Hangul flashcard decks, which play audio only when you tap. Test whether you can hear 개 / 캐다 / 깨 in the Hangul listening quizzes, or print the double consonants worksheet. For hands-on building, try the Hangul Syllable Builder and the interactive Hangul alphabet.

What Should You Learn after ㄲ?

After ㄲ, continue to the next letter lesson on ㄸ. To see the whole group, read about Korean double consonants and print the Korean consonants chart to see ㄲ beside all 19 consonants.

This lesson covers the sound, name, shape, final behavior and early sound changes of ㄲ. It does not cover every sound-change rule, which lives in the pronunciation section, or the vowels that combine with ㄲ. Audio on this page is machine-generated and its review status is shown beside each clip; the Korean text and audio are drafts until a Korean specialist signs them off.

Questions about the Korean Letter ㄲ

Is ㄲ just two ㄱ sounds? No. ㄲ is one tense sound, written with two ㄱ shapes. It is not a long or double k. The tension in the throat and the lack of a puff of air are what make it different from ㄱ and ㅋ. Think of the k in English "sky", and say it as one quick, tight sound.

What does ssang mean in ssanggiyeok? Ssang (쌍) means "pair" or "twin". It is added before the name of a plain letter when the letter is doubled, so 쌍기역 is "twin giyeok". The same word appears in ssangdigeut (ㄸ), ssangbieup (ㅃ), ssangsiot (ㅆ) and ssangjieut (ㅉ). It describes how the letter is written, not how the sound feels.

Can ㄲ be a final consonant? Yes. ㄲ is one of only two double letters that can be written at the bottom of a block, together with ㅆ. At the bottom it is read [k], as in 밖 [박] and 닦다 [닥따]. Before a vowel it returns as a full tense k, so 밖에 is [바께].

How do I make the tense sound without a puff of air? Start with the k in English "sky", and say it without the s. Tighten your throat as if you were about to hold your breath, and release the sound without letting air escape. Hold a strip of paper in front of your mouth: it should stay still. Then add a vowel, as in 까.

Why is 학교 pronounced 학꾜? In 학교, the final ㄱ of 학 makes the ㄱ of 교 tense. This is called tensification (경음화). The spelling shows a plain ㄱ, but the ear hears a tense ㄲ, so the word is [학꾜]. The same thing happens in 국밥 [국빱] and 식당 [식땅], and the lesson on tensification lists the contexts.