KONGLE
Batchim Basics
Recognize batchim — the closing consonant under a syllable block — and identify its 7 representative sounds.
Batchim ㅂ — lips close and stay shut, no puff of air like the English 'p'.
Batchim ㄹ — tongue tip touches the ridge behind your teeth, close to 'l' in feel.
Batchim ㄴ — tongue rests behind the front teeth, like the 'n' in sun.
Another ㅂ batchim — the same closed-lip stop as 밥, just a different word.
Batchim ㅇ — a nasal hum through the nose, like 'ng' in sing.
Batchim ㄴ again — 눈 means both 'eye' and 'snow'; only context tells them apart.
Batchim ㄱ — the back of your tongue touches the soft palate and stays there, no release.
Say it out loud
Listen, then repeat aloud. Matching the rhythm matters more than perfection.
Why? Batchim: a consonant that closes the syllable
So far every syllable block you've read has ended in an open vowel sound. Korean can add a third piece underneath the consonant + vowel: a closing consonant called 받침 (batchim). It sits below the block and cuts the syllable off sharply instead of leaving it open — 바 (ba) becomes 밥 (bap) once you add ㅂ underneath.
Why? Many consonants, only 7 batchim sounds
Almost any consonant can appear as a batchim, but they all collapse into just seven actual sounds: ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅇ. And unlike English endings, Korean batchim stops are never released with a puff of air — 밥 ends with your lips closing and staying shut, not popping open like the 'p' in pop.
Build the block
Every Korean syllable is packed into one block. Tap the letters in writing order — consonant first, then the vowel.
Check yourself
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