Which Korean Converter Should I Start With?
Start with the converter that matches the task in front of you. If you have no task yet, start with the number converter, because numbers appear in every beginner lesson and the two-system choice is the hardest part.
- You need to say a price, a time or your age (A1): use the korean number converter. It picks Sino-Korean or native numbers for you and says why.
- You need Korean words in Latin letters (A1): use the korean romanization converter for the official spelling of a place, a term or a sentence.
- You want to write your own name (A1): use the korean name converter, then practise writing the result by hand.
- A word sounds different from its spelling (A2): use the korean sound change checker to see each rule that changes it.
The next section describes each converter in turn, grouped by what it converts.
All Korean Converter Tools on This Site
The four converters fall into three groups: numbers, scripts and sounds. Each entry says what the tool takes, what it returns and the limit that matters most.
Number Converter
The korean number converter turns figures into Korean words in nine contexts: counting things, age, hours, minutes, dates, money, phone numbers, ordinals and years. It returns the Hangul reading, the romanization, a "Sino-Korean" or "native Korean" label and a one-line reason, so 3 people becomes 세 명 with the note that 셋 shortens before a counter. It reads whole numbers up to 999,999,999,999, grouped by 만 (10,000) and 억 (100,000,000). Version 1 covers the 20 most common counters.
Script Converters
The korean romanization converter writes Hangul in Revised Romanization, South Korea's official system since 2000. It shows a block-by-block breakdown and names each sound change it writes, such as liaison in 한국어 (hangugeo). It does not produce McCune-Reischauer, and it leaves tensification unmarked, as the rules require.
The korean name converter goes the other way: it writes an English first name in Hangul under the NIKL Loanword Orthography (외래어 표기법). It gives the standard spelling and, where one exists, the common spelling, such as 에마 and 엠마 for Emma. Results are transliterations by sound, not Korean names or legal spellings.
Sound Checker
The korean sound change checker shows how a written word is pronounced, one rule at a time, from liaison (꽃이 [꼬치]) to nasalization (밥만 [밤만]). It applies eight rule families in a fixed order and labels any join that depends on grammar as "unsure". It works only on text and does not listen to your voice.
All four converter pages are planned for the same release wave; a converter that is not live yet shows as "coming soon", without a link.
How Do I Pick a Tool?
Pick by what you type in and what you want back. The table matches each goal to one converter.
| Your goal | Converter | Level | You type | You get back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Say a number, price, time or date | Number converter | A1 | 15,000 + "money" | 만 오천 원, man ocheon won, Sino-Korean |
| Write Korean in Latin letters | Romanization converter | A1 | 신라 | Silla, with the rule named |
| Write an English name in Hangul | Name converter | A1 | Michael | 마이클, ma-i-keul |
| Hear why a word sounds different | Sound change checker | A2 | 밥만 | [밤만], nasalization |
Two decision rules settle most cases:
- If your input is Hangul, you want the romanization converter (for spelling) or the sound change checker (for pronunciation). The two often disagree: 학교 is romanized hakgyo but said [학꾜].
- If your input is English or digits, you want the name converter (for names) or the number converter (for figures).
Expert tip: learners often treat romanization as a pronunciation guide. Paste the same word into the romanization converter and the sound change checker, and the gap between hakgyo and [학꾜] shows exactly what romanization leaves out.
Seeing the four tools side by side also shows what they share.
What Do the Four Converters Have in Common?
The four converters share one design: each applies a published Korean standard, shows the rule behind every result and states its limits in plain words. This table compares them across six attributes.
| Attribute | Number converter | Romanization converter | Name converter | Sound change checker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input | digits, dates, times or Korean number words | Hangul, up to 500 characters | English name, 1–3 parts | Hangul, up to 40 blocks |
| Output | Hangul reading, RR, system label | RR, block breakdown, rule notes | Hangul spelling(s), RR, sound notes | pronunciation in [brackets], ordered rules |
| Standard | NIKL dictionary, Hangul Orthography spacing | Revised Romanization of Korean (2000) | Loanword Orthography (외래어 표기법) | Standard Pronunciation (표준 발음법) |
| Biggest limit | 20 counters in version 1 | no McCune-Reischauer | cannot hear the person's own pronunciation | does not know word boundaries |
| "Unsure" handling | notes for old counter forms | flags possible n-insertion | labels rule-based estimates | marks grammar-dependent joins |
| Level | A1 | A1 | A1 | A2 |
What Can't a Korean Converter Do?
A converter applies rules to text; it cannot judge meaning, context or speech. Three limits apply to all four tools:
- No speech scoring. None of the converters records or rates your voice. The site does not claim automatic pronunciation scoring anywhere.
- No guarantee on exceptions. Korean has listed exceptions, such as 의견란 [의견난], and every tool marks what is outside its reviewed lists instead of guessing silently.
- No translation. A converter changes the form of a word, not its language: 마이클 is still the English name Michael, and hangugeo is still the Korean word 한국어.
When a result matters, for an official form or a printed sign, check it with the lesson behind the tool or with a Korean speaker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are converter results always right?
No tool is right for every word, so each converter applies a published standard and labels what it cannot decide. The sound change checker marks grammar-dependent joins as unsure, and the name converter labels rule-based estimates. Results from reviewed lists are the most reliable; check important uses with a Korean speaker.
Which romanization system is used?
The romanization converter uses the Revised Romanization of Korean, South Korea's official system since 2000. It writes 한국어 as hangugeo and 신라 as Silla, and the name converter's romanized reading uses the same system. McCune-Reischauer, found in older books and the basis of North Korea's system, is not offered.
Can I convert my name?
Yes. The korean name converter writes an English first name, and optionally a surname, in Hangul by sound, such as 데이비드 for David. It shows the standard spelling and a common alternative where one exists. To write a Korean name in Latin letters instead, use the romanization converter's name mode.
Does it handle sound changes?
Yes, in two ways. The sound change checker shows the full pronunciation of a word, rule by rule, such as [밤만] for 밥만. The romanization converter writes the sound changes that Revised Romanization reflects but leaves tensification unmarked. Using both on the same word shows the difference between spelling and sound.
More Korean Tools and Lessons
The korean converter section is part of the korean learning tools hub, which also lists the practice tools for letters, listening, reading, typing and sentences. For the theory behind each converter, read the lessons on korean numbers, korean romanization, your name in korean and korean pronunciation rules.