Lesson 1 · Start small
Tap two letters.
Build one Korean block.
Start with ㄱ ㄴ ㅏ ㅣ. The complete 24-letter workshop is still below.
Try a combination
1. Choose a consonant. 2. Choose a vowel.
Vowels
Choose one letter from each group.
Checking for a Korean browser voice…
Names, sounds and reading keys
ㄱ is named 기역 (giyeok); ㄴ is 니은 (nieun). Do not insert the letter name into a word. The small Latin letters are reading keys—not exact English sounds.
See why the block fits
Consonant left. Vowel right. ㄴ + ㅏ → 나 is one syllable block. Both vowels in this mini-session sit on the right.
Try it without the model
- 1 · Build
- 2 · Spot
- 3 · Recall
Build 나 using the tiles above.
Keep trying until your block is 나.
Which block is ㄴ + ㅣ?
Choose one answer. Only one matches both letters.
Cover the tiles. Write 가 · 나 · 기 · 니 on paper.
Check the four combinations
ㄱ + ㅏ → 가
ㄴ + ㅏ → 나
ㄱ + ㅣ → 기
ㄴ + ㅣ → 니
Compare the starting consonant and the vowel. This activity does not check pronunciation or handwriting.
You have reached the end of this mini-session—not the end of Lesson 1.
Mini-session answers stay in memory only and reset on reload. The optional practice note below is separate.
Continue Lesson 1 · all 24 letters, writing and practice
Lesson 1 · Hangul foundations
한글 첫걸음
Your first Hangul workshop
Explore 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels, then combine letters into syllable blocks. This is a first encounter—not a promise to master Korean in one day.
Two layouts. One useful first step.
Today: Build 가 and 고. Then try 누 without copying.
1. Vowel on the right
Put ㄱ left and ㅏ right.
2. Vowel underneath
Put ㄱ above and ㅗ below.
3. Your turn
Cover the answer. Build one block.
Try now: build ㄴ + ㅜ.
Check your answer
누. Put ㄴ above ㅜ. You changed the consonant, not the vowel.
Now use the activities below. Start with one small set; return for the rest.
Take it in several short sessions. Start with four consonants and one vowel in the practice section, then return for more. Hangul is the writing system; Korean is the language. Five tense consonants, eleven additional vowel letters and final-consonant rules belong to later lessons. These ten basic vowel letters are not the same classification as ten simple vowel sounds.
Try it with your finger or mouse
Choose a letter, then trace its pale shape. This is free practice—not handwriting grading.
Paper alternative: copy ㄱ, cover it, and redraw it. Compare the shape—not a score.
Need stroke directions? Use the existing animated guide
For ㄱ, move right and then down in one continuous stroke. For ㄴ, move down and then right in one continuous stroke. For ㅏ, draw the long downward line first, then the short line to the right.
Open the stroke guide: Play, Pause, Next stroke and Reset. You can use its buttons with a keyboard. The canvas is optional; paper practice is equally valid here.
Keep a small practice note
Optional: save only this lesson’s practice check on this browser. It does not assess skill or sync to an account. Clearing browser data removes it. Drawings and quiz answers are not saved.
Practice note not saved yet.
Meet the letters
Choose a tile to inspect its name, reading key and example word. Selecting a letter does not play sound automatically. Names name letters; do not read a whole letter name inside a syllable.
Colors aid recognition; the labels carry the meaning. A plain sound is not simply “no air.” Vowel groups below describe written position, not sound quality.
Letter name: 기역 (giyeok)
Romanization reading key: g / k
Its reading changes with position; English g and k are only approximations.
고양이 · goyangi · cat
Copy the chosen shape on paper, cover the model, and redraw it. This original grid is a shape-copy guide, not a numbered stroke-order diagram. Letterforms can vary by font.
Optional browser voice—not a recorded teacher. A Korean speech-synthesis voice must be available on your device. Its quality varies and it may use a network service. Only the displayed example or syllable is spoken; no microphone is used. Example words may contain untaught letters and grammar: they are listening/context previews, not decoding tests.
Audio unavailable until the lesson script loads. You can study all written material without it.
All 24 basic letters: readable reference
- ㄱ · name 기역 (giyeok) · reading key g / k. Its reading changes with position; English g and k are only approximations.
- ㄴ · name 니은 (nieun) · reading key n. An n-like nasal consonant.
- ㄷ · name 디귿 (digeut) · reading key d / t. Its reading changes with position; do not equate it exactly with English d or t.
- ㄹ · name 리을 (rieul) · reading key r / l. Often a brief tongue-tip tap before a vowel; other positions can be l-like. Not a sustained English r.
- ㅁ · name 미음 (mieum) · reading key m. An m-like nasal consonant.
- ㅂ · name 비읍 (bieup) · reading key b / p. Its reading changes with position; English b and p are only approximations.
- ㅅ · name 시옷 (siot) · reading key s. An s-like consonant; its sound varies with the following vowel.
- ㅇ · name 이응 (ieung) · reading key silent initially; ng finally. Initial ㅇ adds no consonant sound. Final ㅇ is ng; final consonants are taught later.
- ㅈ · name 지읒 (jieut) · reading key j. A plain affricate; the Roman letter j is a reading key, not an exact English sound.
- ㅊ · name 치읓 (chieut) · reading key ch. Aspirated: a stronger puff of air. Do not add a separate vowel.
- ㅋ · name 키읔 (kieuk) · reading key k. Aspirated: a stronger puff of air. Compare its shape with ㄱ.
- ㅌ · name 티읕 (tieut) · reading key t. Aspirated: a stronger puff of air. Compare its shape with ㄷ.
- ㅍ · name 피읖 (pieup) · reading key p. Aspirated: a stronger puff of air.
- ㅎ · name 히읗 (hieut) · reading key h. An h-like sound, shown separately from the four aspirated stop/affricate consonants.
- ㅏ · name 아 (a) · reading key a. Open, unrounded vowel; roughly ah-like. Written to the right.
- ㅑ · name 야 (ya) · reading key ya. A y-glide into ㅏ in one syllable. Written to the right.
- ㅓ · name 어 (eo) · reading key eo. Eo represents one Korean vowel, not e followed by o. Written to the right.
- ㅕ · name 여 (yeo) · reading key yeo. A y-glide into ㅓ in one syllable. Written to the right.
- ㅗ · name 오 (o) · reading key o. Round your lips; aim for a steady o, without an English ow ending. Written below.
- ㅛ · name 요 (yo) · reading key yo. A y-glide into ㅗ. Written below.
- ㅜ · name 우 (u) · reading key u. Rounded lips, roughly oo-like. Written below.
- ㅠ · name 유 (yu) · reading key yu. A y-glide into ㅜ. Written below.
- ㅡ · name 으 (eu) · reading key eu. One unrounded vowel. Eu is not English yoo. Written below.
- ㅣ · name 이 (i) · reading key i. Roughly ee-like, without an added glide. Written to the right.
Build a syllable
These open syllables use a starting consonant position plus one vowel. Some Korean blocks also have a final consonant underneath; that comes later. Initial ㅇ adds no consonant sound.
Vertical vowel: consonant left, vowel right.
Horizontal vowel: consonant above, vowel below.
가: ㄱ on the left, ㅏ on the right.
14 × 10 gives 140 written combinations. A valid syllable is not necessarily a standalone word. These builder keys join the letters’ Roman-letter labels; they are not pronunciation transcriptions. Some combinations are pronounced differently in words: for example, 져 and 쳐 are ordinarily pronounced like 저 and 처. The builder preserves the written vowel distinction; it does not predict every spoken reading.
Try without the builder: ㄴ + ㅜ. Check your answer.
누 (nu). The consonant ㄴ goes above ㅜ. If you wrote 나, you kept the old vowel; if you wrote the letters side by side, adjust the layout.
A conversation to look forward to
Preview only: this short, invented exchange includes final consonants, additional vowels and grammar not taught in Lesson 1. You are not expected to decode every word yet. Notice a familiar letter instead.
Spot a familiar shape: which vowel do you see in 저?
ㅓ, on the right of ㅈ. The complete block is 저 (jeo). This shape task does not require understanding the full sentence.
Practice in small steps
Match a written block to its letter-by-letter reading key. This is visual letter-identification practice, not a sound-discrimination test. Start small; choose a wider set only when you are ready.
Try identifying the starting consonant first, then the vowel.
No scores or answers are saved. A correct written answer does not establish pronunciation, fluency or lasting memory.
Paper practice: ㄱ + ㅏ, ㄴ + ㅗ, ㅁ + ㅜ — answers and layouts
가 (ga): consonant left, vowel right. 노 (no): consonant above, vowel below. 무 (mu): consonant above, vowel below. Cover the answers before trying again.
Review before moving on
Can you identify the two parts of 가 and 고, explain their different layouts, and rebuild a practiced block without looking? If not, choose a smaller practice set or use the slower starting activity below. Familiarity with all 24 tiles does not mean you have mastered them.
Later lessons will add tense consonants, the remaining vowel letters, final consonants and connected reading, then practical Korean sentences. This is Lesson 1’s foundation, not a complete Korean course or a certified level.
Optional slow-start practice: three letters, 가 and 나
The earlier focused activity is preserved below for extra practice. Its old roadmap has been aligned with the expanded Lesson 1; the earlier exercises and illustrations remain available.
HANGUL FOUNDATIONS · LESSON 1
Start Hangul with ㄱ: build 가 and 나
Two consonants. One vowel. A small, orderly beginning.
Your goal: recognize ㄱ, ㄴ and ㅏ, then build 가 and 나 in a side-by-side layout.
Before you begin: materials and practice notes
No previous Hangul knowledge needed.
Use paper, point to the choices, or picture the blocks in your mind. Answer before opening each feedback panel. This is visual spelling practice with text reading aids. No audio, video or speech assessment is included.
Original AI-generated learning illustration. Korean examples remain selectable text.
Step 1 of 6 · Meet the letters
Start with ㄱ. Then meet ㄴ.
Hangul is the writing system used for Korean. Letters fit together into blocks; each block represents a syllable. We begin with ㄱ, the first consonant in the basic-letter order, then ㄴ. One vowel partner will let you build with both.
Consonant · purpleVowel · teal
Notice the top horizontal part and the part turning down at the right.
Reading aid (Romanization)
g / k (depends on position) · Consonant
Letter name: 기역 (giyeok)
Notice the left vertical part and the part turning right at the bottom.
Reading aid (Romanization)
n · Consonant
Letter name: 니은 (nieun)
A long vertical line with a short line pointing right.
Reading aid (Romanization)
a · Vowel
Open your mouth, lips unrounded: an ah-like sound.
The shape descriptions above are not pronunciation models; the separate letter names name letters. You do not need to decode the letter-name spellings yet. In particular, do not treat ㄱ as an English g or k pronunciation rule.
Step 2 of 6 · Names and sounds
Step 3 of 6 · See a worked example
Watch ㄱ become part of a block.
For ㅏ, put the consonant on the left and the vowel on the right. The letters share one square-like space.
Reading aid (Romanization): 가 ga · a is ah-like.
Look inside 가: ㄱ is on the left; ㅏ is on the right. We are building a written syllable, not giving each block a fixed translation.
Step 4 of 6 · Practice with the letters
See it. Build it. Try it.
Start with ㄱ. Take one small step at a time.
Follow the stroke
ㄱ: one stroke. Move right across the top, then turn down.
Orange dot = start. This conventional stroke guide is simplified; it is not a handwriting test or an official course.
Read the stroke directions
- ㄱ: one stroke, right then down.
- ㄴ: one stroke, down then right.
- ㅏ: two strokes. First draw the long line down. Then draw the short line to the right.
Build one syllable
Keep the vowel on the right. Which consonant will you choose?
가 · ga (Romanization). The consonant is left; the vowel is right.
Romanization is a reading aid, not exact English pronunciation. This activity has no audio.
Your turn
Which block is ㄴ + ㅏ?
Choose an answer, or open the answer below.
Show the answer
나 · na. The left consonant is ㄴ; ㅏ stays on the right.
Answers are not saved or scored. The complete lesson stays readable without this optional activity.
Writing-guide note: conventional paths follow Sejong Korean 1, pages 18 and 20. These are simplified diagrams, not a handwriting assessment. NIKL explains that orthographic rules do not prescribe stroke counts. Checked October 28, 2026.
Change just the consonant.
A guided swap
Keep ㅏ on the right. Replace ㄱ with ㄴ on the left. Sketch or imagine the combined block before looking.
Check: A guided swap
나. ㄴ on the left plus ㅏ on the right makes 나. If you made 가, the vowel is right but the starting consonant has not changed. If you stacked the letters, return to the side-by-side model.
Reading aid (Romanization): 가 ga · 나 na.
Step 5 of 6 · Check yourself
Your turn, without copying.
Look away from the worked examples. These questions revisit the two blocks you have just practiced; they are not unseen combinations or a scored test.
A. Spot the first letter
Which consonant begins our path: ㄱ or ㄴ?
Check: A. Spot the first letter
ㄱ. ㄴ comes next. Compare the top-and-right corner of ㄱ with the left-and-bottom corner of ㄴ.
B. Rebuild the first block
Combine ㄱ and ㅏ. Where does each part go?
Check: B. Rebuild the first block
가. ㄱ goes left; ㅏ goes right. Keep the vowel’s short line pointing right.
Reading aid (Romanization): 가 ga.
C. Find the changed part
Compare 가 and 나. Did the consonant change, the vowel change, or both?
Check: C. Find the changed part
Only the consonant changed: ㄱ became ㄴ. Both blocks keep ㅏ on the right.
Step 6 of 6 · Recall and review
Close the answers. Build again.
Without looking above, build the block made from ㄴ and ㅏ. Then take it apart into its two letters.
Reveal the final recall answer
나 = ㄴ + ㅏ. The consonant is left; the vowel is right. This is same-lesson recall, not evidence of lasting memory.
Reading aid (Romanization): 나 na.
A shape mixed up? Compare the three letters. A position mixed up? Revisit the worked block. Close the feedback and try again.
Return to the expanded Lesson 1
This slow-start activity practises three letters. Return to the main workshop to explore all 24 basic letters, then follow the current course map for later lessons.
How this optional activity fits the course
This is a slower practice route inside the expanded Lesson 1, not a separate current course sequence. The main workshop introduces the 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowel letters; later lessons add tense consonants, additional vowels and final consonants.
Sources · what we checked
The National Institute of Korean Language’s basic-letter order — checked 2026-10-27 informs our consonant path. Its Hangeul principles — checked 2026-10-27 explain letters combined into syllabic units. This lesson sequence and all practice prompts are our own educational design, not an official course or endorsement.
Reading aids follow NIKL Romanization of Korean — checked 2026-10-27. English sound hints are approximate; these activities do not assess speech.
Sources checked October 27, 2026. Original AI-assisted educational content. No audio or video is included in this optional slow-start activity; listening and pronunciation are not assessed here. These self-checks do not score or save answers and do not establish fluency or long-term recall.
Sources · what we checked
Checked October 29, 2026. Original exercises and diagrams; not an official course endorsement. Letter inventory and block structure: NIKL Hangeul principles — checked 2026-10-29. Reading keys: NIKL Romanization — checked 2026-10-29. Sound categories and vowel distinctions: NIKL standard pronunciation rules — checked 2026-10-29.
Browser synthesis is optional and device-dependent; it is not reviewed recorded teaching audio. No speech recording, account progress, examination or fluency claim is made.
QUESTIONS & EXPERIENCES
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