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Double consonants
Weve already learned all of the 14 basic consonants in Korean, but there are still a few more. In this lesson well learn double consonants, which are simply doubled versions of the same basic consonants that youve learned before. The difference is in the way these sounds are voiced. First, lets take a look at what these double consonants are.

, , , ,
Recognize them? These are simply doubled versions of , , , , and . Their sound is similar to their normal versions, but their pronunciation is slightly different. How to write them: Simply write the left consonant first, then the right one. A pair of double consonants should take up the same amount of space as a single regular consonant.

How to pronounce double consonants

Double consonants (also called tense consonants) are pronounced by tensing the lips before making the regular sounds. A is just a tensed version of a . Before pronouncing a double consonant, you take a quick pause this naturally causes the sound after the pause to become tensed. could therefore be pronounced like the ka or ga sound in ska. Try saying the English word a few times, and noticing how the k sounds more tensed after the s than if it were at the beginning of a word. Its certainly a bit different than just saying ka. could be pronounced like the ta or da sound you hear in the word stop. This sound is tenser than it is in the sounds ta or da alone. could be pronounced like the pa or ba sound you hear in the word spa. Compare this with its normal sound of and you should be able to hear the difference. could be pronounced like the sa sound in seesaw. Its a slightly more tense version than , so you can imagine that youre a snake when making this double consonant. could be pronounced like the cha or ja sound in gotcha (got you). Notice how the sound is also more tensed than it is in the sounds cha or ja alone.

GO! Billy Korean

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Practice
Try reading these words yourself before listening to the audio file.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
New vocabulary
Here are a few new words you can now learn after completing this lesson. Dont worry too much about memorizing these yet, since well go over them again in the Korean lessons anyway after completing .

(a daughter)

(a son)

(bread)

(uncooked rice)

(certainly, surely) GO! Billy Korean

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Conclusion
Pronouncing double consonants can be a difficult concept to grasp for beginners, but like everything else weve learned so far, practice is the key. Try making your own syllables using these new double consonants, and practice pronouncing them as well. If you have any questions or feedback, or just want to say hello, feel free to contact me through my web site at http://www.gobillykorean.com

GO! Billy Korean