Korean alphabet terms are the names used for the parts of the Hangul writing system, such as jamo (letters), batchim (final consonants) and Revised Romanization. This glossary groups 16 of them by the question each one answers, and it links every term to the lesson that teaches the skill.
What Are Korean Alphabet Terms?
Korean alphabet terms are the specialist words that textbooks, apps and Korean teachers use to talk about Hangul. Some are Korean words, such as 받침 (batchim). Some are English labels, such as "syllable block". Others name systems, such as Revised Romanization. A term matters because a lesson that says "put the batchim under the vowel" is clear only if you know the word.
Each entry below gives a short snippet. Follow the link when you need the full definition. When you want the skill and not the definition, return to the Korean alphabet hub for the full learning path.
Letters and Sounds: Jamo, Jaeum and Moeum
The letters of Hangul have three basic names, and the three entries here define them.
- Jamo (자모): the individual letters, 24 basic and 40 in total. Not the same as a syllable block.
- Jaeum and moeum (자음, 모음): the Korean words for consonant and vowel, whose Hanja mean "child sound" and "mother sound". School books count 19 consonants and 21 vowels.
- Bright and dark vowels (양성 모음, 음성 모음): the two vowel groups that decide which ending a verb takes, for example -아요 after ㅏ and ㅗ.
Start with what jamo are: the individual letters that combine into blocks.
Is Hangul an Alphabet or a Syllabary?
Hangul is an alphabet, and linguists call it a featural alphabet because letter shapes show how sounds are made. It is not a syllabary like Japanese kana, even though the letters are written in blocks, because every block splits into separate letters.
Inside the Block: Choseong, Jungseong, Jongseong
Inside a Hangul block, three slots hold the letters, and these entries name them.
- Choseong, jungseong and jongseong (초성, 중성, 종성): "first sound", "middle sound" and "final sound", the three slots of a block.
- Batchim (받침): the written final consonant, from 받치다 "to prop up". Its sound lesson is in the batchim lesson.
- Syllable blocks: one block is one syllable, written as a small square. The skill of building them is taught in how syllable blocks are built.
What Is the Difference between Batchim and Jongseong?
Batchim is the written letter at the bottom of a block, and jongseong is the formal name for that position and its sound. Linguists use jongseong, while teachers and apps use batchim. The batchim meaning entry has the full table.
Names of the Script: Hangul, Hunminjeongeum, Chosŏn'gŭl
The script has had several names, and each entry explains one.
- Hangul (한글): the modern name, formed from 한 "great" or "Korean" and 글 "script". See the meaning of Hangul.
- Hunminjeongeum (훈민정음): the 1446 document and original name, "the correct sounds for the instruction of the people". The script was completed in 1443 and promulgated with this document in 1446.
- Chosŏn'gŭl (조선글): the name used in North Korea for the same script.
Romanization Systems: RR, McCune-Reischauer and Yale
Romanization means writing Korean with Latin letters, and three systems exist.
- Revised Romanization: the South Korean standard since July 2000, used on road signs, passports and maps.
- McCune-Reischauer: an older system published in 1939 that uses marks such as ŏ and ŭ, found in older books and library catalogues.
- Yale romanization: a system designed for linguists that shows the spelling underneath the sounds.
One real word in each system shows the difference:
| Word | Meaning | Revised Romanization | McCune-Reischauer | Yale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 어른 | adult | eoreun | ŏrŭn | elun |
| 들 | field | deul | tŭl | tul |
| 꽃 | flower | kkot | kkot | kkoch |
The romanization guide shows how to apply each system to real words.
Which Romanization System Should a Learner Use?
A learner should use Revised Romanization. It matches road signs, maps and tickets in South Korea, and most apps follow it. Use McCune-Reischauer only to read older English books, and Yale only when a linguistics paper requires it. Treat romanization as a helper, because it hides sounds that Hangul shows exactly.
History and Institutions: Jiphyeonjeon
Jiphyeonjeon (집현전) was King Sejong's research institute, the "Hall of Worthies", whose scholars wrote the explanations of the 1446 text. The entry explains why it did not invent the script, and which scholar opposed it.
Writing Foreign Words and Computers
Two entries cover writing beyond ordinary Korean words.
- Loanword orthography (외래어 표기법): the official rules for spelling foreign words in Hangul, such as 컴퓨터 for "computer".
- Hangul in Unicode: how computers store Korean, including the 11,172 syllables and why text sometimes appears as separate letters.
Which Terms Do Beginners Need First?
Beginners need four terms in week one: jamo, syllable block, batchim and romanization. Learn the rest when a lesson uses them.
| Stage | Terms to know | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Week one | jamo, jaeum and moeum, syllable block, batchim | reading and writing your first blocks |
| Week two | Revised Romanization, bright and dark vowels | pronunciation help and verb endings |
| When curious | Hangul, Hunminjeongeum, Jiphyeonjeon, featural alphabet | history and why the letters look as they do |
| Reference only | McCune-Reischauer, Yale, Unicode, loanword orthography | older books, linguistics, computers |
Review the letters themselves with the Hangul flashcard decks.
Korean Alphabet Terms Compared at a Glance
The table lists each term with its Korean form and literal meaning.
| Term | Korean | Literal meaning | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamo | 자모 | letters | the 24 or 40 Hangul letters |
| Jaeum | 자음 | child sound | consonants |
| Moeum | 모음 | mother sound | vowels |
| Choseong | 초성 | first sound | initial consonant slot |
| Jungseong | 중성 | middle sound | vowel slot |
| Jongseong | 종성 | final sound | final consonant slot |
| Batchim | 받침 | prop, support | written final consonant |
| Hangul | 한글 | great (or Korean) script | the Korean alphabet |
| Hunminjeongeum | 훈민정음 | correct sounds to teach the people | the 1446 text and original name |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 조선글 | Korean script | North Korea's name for Hangul |
| Jiphyeonjeon | 집현전 | hall where worthy people gather | Sejong's research institute |
| Bright and dark vowels | 양성 모음, 음성 모음 | bright/dark vowels | vowel harmony |
| Loanword orthography | 외래어 표기법 | foreign-word spelling rules | spelling foreign words |
| Featural alphabet | not a Korean term | shape shows sound feature | classifying Hangul |
| Revised Romanization | 국어의 로마자 표기법 | Romanization of the national language | South Korean standard |
| Hangul in Unicode | not a Korean term | code blocks | computer text |
In short, these Korean alphabet terms give you the vocabulary to follow any Hangul lesson.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to learn linguistic terms to read Korean? No. You can learn to read Hangul with only two ideas, letters and blocks. The terms on this page become useful when you use textbooks, apps and classes taught in Korean, or when you want to look up a spelling or pronunciation rule. Learn the four week-one terms first: jamo, syllable block, batchim and romanization.
Why do textbooks spell Hangul as Hangeul? Hangeul is the Revised Romanization spelling of 한글, adopted by South Korea in 2000 and used in many government and museum texts. Hangul is the older English spelling that most dictionaries and media still use, and Han'gŭl is the McCune-Reischauer form. All three are the same word, 한글.
Are jamo and letters the same thing? Yes, in everyday use. Jamo (자모) is the technical word for the individual Hangul letters, such as ㅎ, ㅏ and ㄴ. A letter in this sense is not the same as a syllable block, which is a group of jamo written together, such as 한. The jamo entry explains the difference with counts and examples.
Which Korean terms appear most in beginner lessons? Beginner lessons use jamo, 자음 (consonant), 모음 (vowel), batchim (final consonant) and syllable block most often, and romanization when they show pronunciation. Terms like featural alphabet, Unicode and Yale romanization appear mostly in reference material, so you can safely leave them until later.