Korean Final Consonants ㄴ & ㄹ
Welcome to Part 2 of our series on learning Korean final consonants (받침).
In the first lesson, we learned about ㅁ (m) and ㅇ (ng).
Now, let’s focus on two more important final consonants: ㄴ (n) and ㄹ (l/r).
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Understand how ㄴ and ㄹ are pronounced as final consonants.
- Read and write simple Korean words with these batchim.
- Distinguish between the two similar sounds in Korean.
🎯 Learning Objectives
- Learn how to pronounce final consonants ㄴ and ㄹ.
- Understand how they change position and sound in syllables.
- Practice reading, writing, and listening with basic Korean words.
💡 Why Focus on ㄴ and ㄹ?
Both ㄴ and ㄹ use the tongue tip during pronunciation, but in slightly different ways.
Understanding this difference helps learners avoid common pronunciation mistakes and makes your Korean sound more natural.
In Korean syllables, the structure remains:
Consonant + Vowel + Final Consonant (받침).
🗣️ Unit 2: Final Consonant ㄴ
🧠 Pronunciation Guide
- The sound of ㄴ is similar to the English n.
- To make this sound, the tongue touches the upper gums behind your upper teeth, and air passes through your nose.
- Example syllables:
- ‘간’ (gan) → tongue touches gums.
- ‘손’ (son) → ends with n sound.
- ‘눈’ (nun) → same as noon in English sound pattern.
🧩 Activity Steps
- Write on the board: 가 + ㄴ = 간, point and say “간, 간.”
- Then: 소 + ㄴ = 손, say “손, 손.”
- Next: 누 + ㄴ = 눈, say “눈, 눈.”
- Show tongue position diagram or demonstrate in class.
- Students repeat the sound while touching their upper gum lightly with their tongue.
🚫 Pronunciation Correction
- ❌ “가느” (wrong) → ✅ “간” (correct)
- ❌ “소느” (wrong) → ✅ “손” (correct)
Make sure the sound ends cleanly with the tongue touching the upper gum, not followed by a vowel.
🗣️ Unit 2: Final Consonant ㄹ
🧠 Pronunciation Guide
- ㄹ as a final consonant sounds similar to a light “l”, not exactly English “r.”
- The tongue tip lightly touches the roof of the mouth (just behind the gums).
- It’s a short, quick sound that doesn’t continue long.
Examples:
- 달 (dal) → light “l” sound
- 별 (byul) → smooth ending with ㄹ
- 물 (mul) → lips stay relaxed; short “l” at the end
🧩 Activity Steps
- Write: 다 + ㄹ = 달 → say “달, 달.”
- Write: 부 + ㄹ = 불 → say “불, 불.”
- Write: 물 → show tongue movement, “물, 물.”
- Encourage students to repeat while placing their tongue behind the upper teeth.
🚫 Pronunciation Correction
- Avoid saying “다르” (with an added vowel).
- End the word with the tongue lightly touching the roof of the mouth.
📚 Reading Practice: Words with ㄴ, ㄹ
Let’s read and repeat together:
- 산 (mountain) → san, san, san
- 손 (hand) → son, son, son
- 달 (moon) → dal, dal, dal
- 별 (star) → byul, byul, byul
- 물 (water) → mul, mul, mul
Teacher points to each word → students read → repeat aloud several times.
This helps learners get used to the sound and rhythm of Korean pronunciation.
✍️ Writing Practice
- Review how to write syllables in Korean order: Initial + Vowel + Final (받침).
- Emphasise that ㄴ and ㄹ are written at the bottom of the block.
- Teacher says: “Follow me and write.”
- Students write example words several times focusing on the final consonant placement.
Example:
- 간 → write: ㄱ + ㅏ + ㄴ
- 달 → write: ㄷ + ㅏ + ㄹ
🧩 Vocabulary Practice: Basic Words
Introduce easy beginner vocabulary with ㄴ and ㄹ:
- 산 (mountain)
- 손 (hand)
- 눈 (eye/snow)
- 달 (moon)
- 별 (star)
- 길 (road)
- 물 (water)
→ Practice reading each word three times aloud.
→ Write each word in notebooks focusing on final consonant placement.
🎲 Fun Practice Activities
① Word Card Game
- Prepare cards with a word and picture on one side and pronunciation on the other.
- Students read cards aloud and match them with pictures.
- After group activity, switch to pair work for more speaking time.
② Word-Building Game
- Use a set of Korean jamo cards (consonants + vowels + ㄴ, ㄹ).
- Divide students into small teams.
- Teacher says a word → teams combine cards quickly → raise them and read.
- The fastest or most correct team earns a point.
③ Listening and Reading Practice
- Before listening, show the words and let students predict pronunciation.
- Play audio → students repeat loudly.
- Compare two words to discriminate between ㄴ and ㄹ endings.
- Example: 산 vs 살, 눈 vs 늘.
- Teacher: “Listen carefully and choose the right word.”
- After answering, repeat twice for pronunciation accuracy.
✅ Closing
Now you can read, write, and pronounce Korean syllables with final consonants ㄴ (n) and ㄹ (l)!
Keep practicing with word cards and games to strengthen your pronunciation.
Together with Part 1 (ㅁ, ㅇ), you’ve now mastered four of the most common final consonants in Korean.