Why Sejong made a new alphabet
Before Hangul, Koreans wrote with Chinese characters. There were thousands to learn, and they didn't fit the Korean language well. Only a small group of educated men could read.
Sejong, the fourth king of the Joseon dynasty, wanted letters that anyone could learn. He made them himself and finished them in 1443.
"The correct sounds to teach the people"
In 1446 the king shared the new letters under the name 훈민정음 (Hunminjeongeum), which means "the correct sounds to teach the people". Scholars at his court wrote a book, released with them, that explained how each letter was designed. UNESCO added that book to its Memory of the World register in 1997.
Its closing words promised that a quick learner could pick up the letters in a morning, and even a slow one within ten days.
Consonants shaped like your mouth
The five basic consonants are drawings of the mouth making each sound.
- ㄱThe back of the tongue rising to block the throat (g, k)
- ㄴThe tip of the tongue touching the ridge behind the top teeth (n)
- ㅁThe closed mouth (m)
- ㅅA tooth (s)
- ㅇThe round throat (silent; it took over the ng sound later)
Add a stroke and the sound gets stronger:
Vowels from heaven, earth and people
The vowels grew from three marks: a round dot for heaven, a flat line for the earth (ㅡ) and a standing line for a person (ㅣ). A dot beside or on a line makes the other vowels: ㅣ with a dot on its right became ㅏ, and ㅡ with a dot on top became ㅗ.
Over time the dot turned into the short stroke you write today.
From 28 letters to 24
Sejong's alphabet had 28 letters. Four fell out of use as the language changed, which leaves the 24 basic letters used today. Add the 16 double letters and you get all 40.
Where the name Hangul comes from
For centuries the letters went by other names. The name 한글 (Hangul) is usually credited to the scholar Ju Si-gyeong, around 1912. Han can mean "great" or "Korean", and geul means "writing".
You'll see it spelled Hangul and Hangeul. Hangeul follows the official romanization used in Korea today. Hangul is the older spelling most English speakers know.
Hangul Day
South Korea celebrates its alphabet every October 9 on Hangul Day (한글날), a national holiday. North Korea marks its own day for the alphabet on January 15.
