Final Consonant Neutralization: Definition and Korean Examples

Final Consonant Neutralization in Korean

Neutralization is a sound change in which a contrast between two sounds disappears in one position. In Korean the position is the end of a syllable. Korean lets only seven consonant sounds close a syllable, so every other final letter is replaced by the nearest of the seven. The Korean name is 음절의 끝소리 규칙 (eumjeorui kkeutsori gyuchik, "syllable-final sound rule").

The Standard Pronunciation Rules (표준 발음법, Articles 8 to 11) set out the groups. The single letters sort as follows; ㅎ sits in the [ㄷ] group by teaching convention, since its letter name 히읗 is said [히읃], while Article 12 covers how final ㅎ behaves before other sounds.

That gives 16 single letters. Add the 11 two-letter final clusters, which also reduce to one sound each (for example 닭 is pronounced [닥]), and the total of 27 written finals becomes seven sounds. Hear the merged final sound in 낮 below.

The seven results are the same sounds that representative sounds lists, three of them being the unreleased stops. Next, the rule is easier to see against its nearest confusable term.

Neutralization Versus Assimilation

Neutralization merges different sounds into one at the end of a syllable, while assimilation makes a sound copy a feature of its neighbour. They are separate Korean rules that often apply in the same word, one after the other.

In 밥물 (rice water), neutralization leaves ㅂ unchanged, and then assimilation turns it into the nasal ㅁ before ㅁ. Learn assimilation separately; neutralization gives it the input. The examples below show neutralization alone.

What Are Examples of Final Consonant Neutralization?

Three words that look different sound the same, and a fourth shows the rule switching off.

낮 and 낫 are both said [낟]. A third word, 낟, a rare noun meaning a grain of cereal, is also [낟], which makes the point that spelling hides the difference. In 꽃 the final ㅊ becomes [ㄷ], giving [꼳]. In 낮이 the vowel of 이 is next, so ㅈ moves into the next syllable and returns as [나지]. That pattern leads straight to the errors below.

What Do Learners Get Wrong about Final Consonant Neutralization?

Learners often assume that a spelling shows the sound, so they say 꽃 with a final "ch" and 부엌 with a final "k" plus puff. In fact the final letters merge into one of seven sounds, and the original sound appears only when a vowel follows. Read the spelling for the meaning and the rule for the sound.

Two further points to remember:

• Dictation shortcut. When you hear [꼳] you cannot tell the spelling alone; ask whether a vowel follows and test with 꽃이 [꼬치]. The audio alone does not tell you whether the letter is ㅊ, ㅌ or ㅅ.
• Only some finals are neutralized. The nasals ㄴ ㅁ ㅇ and the liquid ㄹ keep their sounds, so only the stop, affricate and fricative finals merge.

Remember that neutralization removes spelling clues from sound, never the other way around. The questions below pick up what is left.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is neutralization? Neutralization is a sound rule in which two or more different sounds become one in a certain position. In Korean, many different consonants become the same sound at the end of a syllable. The letters stay different on paper, which is why 낮, 낫 and 낟 look different but sound the same when said alone.

Why do 낮 and 낫 sound the same? 낮 (day) and 낫 (sickle) sound the same because ㅈ and ㅅ are both pronounced as the unreleased ㄷ sound at the end of a syllable. Both are said [낟]. When a vowel follows, the difference returns: 낮이 is pronounced [나지], while 낫이 is pronounced [나시].

How many final sounds are there? There are seven final sounds: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ and ㅇ. Korean has 27 written final spellings, which are 16 single letters (including ㄲ and ㅆ) and 11 two-letter clusters, but every one of them is pronounced as one of these seven sounds when it ends a syllable or comes before a consonant.

Does neutralization happen before a vowel? Not when the vowel is part of a particle or ending that begins with a vowel. The final consonant then moves into the next syllable and keeps its own sound, so 꽃이 is [꼬치]. Neutralization applies when the consonant stands at the end of a word or before another consonant, as in 꽃 [꼳] and 꽃도 [꼳또].

Related Terms and Lessons

Final consonant neutralization is the rule behind all batchim pronunciation. Read the seven final sounds for each result, unreleased stop for how the stops sound, and assimilation for the rule that applies next. Every other term is defined in the Korean Pronunciation Glossary.

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