How it works
Each question shows a word in Hangul and three ways it could be said, written in square brackets the way Korean dictionaries show pronunciation: 국물 [궁물]. Pick the one Koreans actually say. Whatever you pick, you see the reason straight away, and at the end you can retry only the words you missed.
The eight rules in the set
- Liaison (연음): a final consonant slides into the next syllable, 음악 [으막].
- Nasalization (비음화): ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ sounds turn into ㅇ, ㄴ, ㅁ before ㄴ or ㅁ, 감사합니다 [감사함니다].
- ㄹ + ㄴ (유음화): ㄴ next to ㄹ becomes ㄹ, 신라 [실라].
- Aspiration (격음화): ㅎ merges with ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅈ into ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ, 좋다 [조타].
- Tensing (경음화): after a final [k], [t] or [p], plain consonants become tense, 학교 [학꾜].
- Silent ㅎ: final ㅎ before a vowel disappears, 좋아요 [조아요].
- Palatalization (구개음화): ㄷ and ㅌ before 이 become ㅈ and ㅊ, 같이 [가치].
- Added ㄴ (ㄴ 첨가): some compounds add an ㄴ sound before 야, 여, 요, 유 and 이, 꽃잎 [꼰닙].
Every answer follows the Standard Pronunciation rules (표준 발음법) of the National Institute of Korean Language, and each explanation names the article it comes from. The full explanation of these rules is in our guide to Korean sound changes.
What this checks, and what it doesn't
This is a recognition quiz: it checks that you know how a word is said. It can't hear you, so it doesn't judge your accent. Say each answer out loud before you tap, and compare with real speech in shows and songs. Turn on Show romanization to see the official Revised Romanization of the right answer. Romanization doesn't mark tensing, so 학교 stays hakgyo even though it sounds like [학꾜].
Nothing is saved or sent anywhere; reloading the page starts a fresh set.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Korean not pronounced the way it is spelled?
Hangul spelling keeps each word's original form so you can see its meaning, and a few sound rules then change how neighbouring sounds are said. For example 국 (soup) keeps its spelling in 국물, but the ㄱ is said as [ng] before ㅁ: [궁물].
What do the square brackets mean?
Square brackets show pronunciation, the way Korean dictionaries do. 국물 [궁물] means the word is spelled 국물 but said 궁물.
Does this check my accent?
No. It checks that you know which pronunciation is correct. It does not record or analyse your voice.
Which rules are the most important for beginners?
Liaison and nasalization. They appear in almost every sentence, including 감사합니다 [감사함니다] and 한국어 [한구거].
Based on: National Institute of Korean Language, Standard Pronunciation rules (표준 발음법) · Revised Romanization of Korean (2000)
Last checked: 2026-10-20