Key Facts
- Hangul: 발음; Revised Romanization: bareum
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 發音 (發 emit + 音 sound)
- Register: Neutral, standard term.
Pronunciation in Korean: What Does 발음 Mean?
발음 is the standard noun for pronunciation, the way sounds are produced. It is neutral, and you hear it most in class when someone corrects or praises how you speak.
How Do You Pronounce 발음?
Write 발음, say ba-reum. The second syllable 음 starts with a silent ㅇ, so the ㄹ at the end of 발 moves across and becomes the start of reum. Say ba-reum, not bal-eum.
Example Sentences with 발음
제 발음이 어때요?
Je bareumi eottaeyo?
How is my pronunciation?
어때요 asks how it is, so this is the sentence for requesting feedback.
한국어 발음이 어렵지만 재미있어요.
Hangugeo bareumi eoryeopjiman jaemiisseoyo.
Korean pronunciation is hard but fun.
재미있어요 means fun, and 어렵지만 sets up a contrast: hard but fun.
선생님이 발음을 고쳐 주셨어요.
Seonsaengnimi bareumeul gochyeo jusyeosseoyo.
The teacher corrected my pronunciation.
선생님이 is the teacher, and 고쳐 주셨어요 is the honorific past of correcting for me.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 발음이 좋다 | to have good pronunciation |
| 발음을 연습하다 | to practice pronunciation |
| 발음 규칙 | pronunciation rule |
Teachers and learners use three fixed phrases. 발음이 좋다 is a compliment, 발음을 연습하다 describes study, and 발음 규칙 names the written rules, such as the linking of a final consonant onto the next syllable.
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners often read each block separately.
Wrong: bal-eum, with a pause after the ㄹ.
Correct: ba-reum. The ㄹ of 발 links to the next syllable because 음 begins with a silent ㅇ.
발음 Compared with Related Words
Three sound words are easy to blur together.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 발음 | pronunciation | This page's word |
| 소리 | sound | Any sound, not only speech sounds. |
| 억양 | intonation | Pitch pattern rather than sounds. |
| 말투 | way of speaking | Tone/style of speech. |
발음 is how you pronounce speech sounds. 소리 is any sound, not only speech, 억양 is the pitch pattern of intonation, and 말투 is the tone or style of speaking.
Where Does the Word Come From?
발음 is Sino-Korean, written 發音 in hanja: 發 (emit) plus 音 (sound), literally an emitted sound.
In a Lesson: Asking about a Difficult Word
A learner asks a teacher to model a word. The question points to one word, so the teacher can give a focused answer.
Learner
이 단어는 어떻게 발음해요?
I daneoneun eotteoke bareumhaeyo?
How do you pronounce this word?
Teacher
먼저 들어 보세요.
Meonjeo deureo boseyo.
First, listen.
Learner
한 번 더 말해 주세요.
Han beon deo malhae juseyo.
Please say it one more time.
Teacher
네, 천천히 말할게요.
Ne, cheoncheonhi malhalgeyo.
Yes, I will say it slowly.
발음해요 comes from 발음하다, “to pronounce”. 어떻게 asks “how”, so the first line requests a model rather than a definition. 한 번 더 means “one more time”. The final line offers slower speech, which lets the learner hear the sound sequence more clearly.
How Do the Particles Change the Job of 발음?
발음이 좋다 makes pronunciation the thing being described: “the pronunciation is good”. English often phrases this as “someone has good pronunciation”. Korean can leave the person unstated when the speaker and listener already know whose speech they are discussing.
발음을 연습하다 makes pronunciation the object of practice. The same 을 appears in 발음을 고치다, “to correct pronunciation”. In the existing teacher example, 고쳐 주셨어요 adds that the teacher did the correction for the learner, with respect shown to the teacher through the verb ending.
발음하다 is written as one word. 발음 연습, “pronunciation practice”, is a noun phrase with a space. A timetable or lesson heading can simply say 발음 연습; a full sentence needs a verb, as in 발음을 연습해요. Recognizing the difference helps you read lesson labels without expecting every label to be a complete instruction.
Which Phrases Describe Clear Speech?
정확한 발음 means “accurate pronunciation”. 정확한 describes correctness, so it fits the production of a particular sound or word. 자연스러운 발음 means “natural pronunciation”, which concerns how speech sounds in use. These are descriptions of speech, rather than names for separate sound rules.
발음이 좋다 is a broad compliment. 발음이 또렷하다 means the pronunciation is clear or distinct. 또렷하다 focuses on how clearly the sounds can be heard. Someone may speak clearly but still have a noticeable accent, so “clear” and “accent-free” are different claims.
표준 발음 means “standard pronunciation”. You will see it in explanations of how a written word is pronounced under standard Korean rules. It is a label for a pronunciation standard, not a promise that every speaker always uses an identical sound in conversation.
Where Will You See 발음 outside a Classroom?
Dictionary entries may put a pronunciation guide beside the written headword. In Korean guides, square brackets commonly show a spoken form. For 발음, [바름] shows the ㄹ linking into the next syllable. The spelling stays 발음 even though the sound crosses the written syllable boundary.
발음 also appears in video lesson titles, language learning searches and feedback on presentations. A comment about 발음 concerns the sounds of speech. A comment about 억양 focuses on the rise and fall of the voice, while 말투 can include the speaker's manner or attitude.
Words to Use When Asking for Feedback
| Korean | Meaning | What it points to |
|---|---|---|
| 단어 | word | Identify the particular word you want modeled. |
| 문장 | sentence | Ask about a whole sentence rather than one word. |
| 철자 | spelling | Discuss written letters rather than spoken sounds. |
| 억양 | intonation | Ask about the pitch pattern of a phrase. |
The pronunciation lessons explain the sound rules themselves. The classroom words lesson supplies the vocabulary for asking about them during a lesson.
Quick Self-Test
- Which consonant links forward when you pronounce 발음?
- Does 어떻게 발음해요 ask for a meaning or a pronunciation?
- Which word refers to spelling: 철자 or 억양?
Show answers
- ㄹ, giving [바름].
- A pronunciation: “How do you pronounce it?”
- 철자. 억양 means intonation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "pronunciation" in Korean?
Say 발음 (bareum).
How do I say "good pronunciation"?
Say 발음이 좋다.
How do I say to practise pronunciation?
Use 발음을 연습하다.
What is a pronunciation rule?
It is 발음 규칙, for example the rule that a final consonant links onto a following vowel.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Classroom words groups 발음 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Next in the classroom list is the word for question.
- This page teaches the word 발음. For lessons on the sounds themselves, go to Korean pronunciation.