The Turning Point (And about ㅎ)

A story about how my world almost fell apart😓

I want to tell you a story about a crucial turning point in my life in this newsletter. I was a teacher at a school a number of years ago when I got a call telling me I wouldn't be able to return for another semester. Some schools have agreements that need to be renewed each semester. Because of this, I was forced to accept that I was no longer employed.

As soon as everything was said and done. I was still struggling to let go of the specific cause. The standards for my performance evaluations were met, and I received higher marks than the majority of the other teachers. I knew that it was not for a valid reason. I didn't comprehend why anyone would do something like this. Being new to the school, I was merely carrying out my duties.

I questioned whether my lessons and materials were too challenging or whether they did not enjoy my teaching style because I enjoy interacting with all of my students. Whatever the reason, I had to put it behind me and focus on teaching, which is what I love to do. My inspiration to launch my own online Korean school came at that time. To give my students the education they deserve and want is what I strive for. I firmly believe that a welcoming environment promotes effective learning among students. 

I arrived at my desk at home and started working. I knew that I had to start from scratch. However, I was too focused to give it a second thought. I created lesson plans, made new social media accounts, and had to advertise. When students from all over the world began enrolling in classes, I was overjoyed. Since the launch of LAK, I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful people from all over the world and hear their motivations for learning Korean. For that, I am grateful.

Now, I am happy that I received that call that day. I can spread my wings and soar without restriction. I have the freedom to instruct how I see fit. Also, meet more people around the world. The most crucial thing is to be happy, and I am very happy with where I am right now with all of you!!!

Shall we now start today's lesson in earnest? The topic for today is the pronunciation of 'ㅎ'. You may have had difficulty finding a proper explanation for this sound even after searching online. That's because the pronunciation is quite complex. I will highlight a few important characteristics that you need to know. 

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: ㅎ (히읗)

Today, we have a interesting topic to dive into the Korean letter ㅎ

Let's explore the world of Korean phonetics and unravel the mysteries of this special character.

ㅎ (히읗) is the eleventh and final basic consonant in the Korean alphabet. It is a sound similar to the English 'h', as in "hello." However, when it appears at the end of a syllable (batchim position), the sound can change dramatically, sometimes even becoming silent. This can be an essential aspect to consider when learning Korean pronunciation.

First of all, In the batchim position, ㅎ is pronounced as ㄷ. However, there aren't many examples of this.

히읗 (히읃) 

Batchim position ‘ㅎ, ㄶ, ㅀ’ + ㅇ = silent

When it comes to the ㅎ rule. It is kind of like the word “honest" and” the name “Johnathan”, you don’t pronounce the “H”. Sometimes, the ㅎ can become silent🤫, meaning it doesn't produce any sound. However, it's important to note that this rule does not apply in all cases.

Let's take a closer look at some examples:

1. When the final consonants 'ㅎ, ㄶ, ㅀ' are followed by a silent consonant ㅇ, 'ㅎ' is silent.

좋아요: In this verb, which means "to be good," the ㅎ in 좋 (joh) is silent when  it is between two vowels. The pronunciation is [조아요 (jo-a-yo)] not [조하요 (jo-ha-yo)].🙅‍♀️

많아요: This verb means "to be many" or "to be numerous." Similar to the previous example, the ㅎ in 많 (manh) is silent when it is in between two vowels. The pronunciation is [마나요 (ma-na-yo)] not [만하요 (man-ha-yo)].🙅‍♂️

Here are more examples and how to pronounce them:

좋아요 [조아요]  to be good     많아요 [마나요]  to be many/much

넣어요 [너어요]  to put in             끊어요 [끄너요]  to cut off

낳아요 [나아요]  to born     괜찮아요 [괜차나요]  to be okay/alright

쌓아요 [싸아요]  to pile up     싫어요 [시러요] to dislike/hate

2. When 'ㅎ' appears between a vowel and the consonant ㄴ, ㄹ, ㅁ, and, it can be pronounced or left silent. However, in general, Koreans tend to not pronounce the 'ㅎ' more often in these cases.

간호사 [가노사 (gan-ho-sa, ga-no-sa)] nurse

신호등 [시노등 (sin-ho-deung, si-no-deung)]  traffic light

🌠 Creating an aspirated sound

There are cases ㅎ can affect the pronunciation of the following syllable:

3. When consonant ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅈ comes before or after the ㅎ, the consonant ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅈ become aspirated ㅋ, ㄷ, ㅍ, ㅊ (i.e. pronounced with a burst of air)

For example, in 좋다 [joh-da], meaning "It's good," the ㅎ in 좋 [joh] affects the pronunciation of the ㄷ in 다 (da), creating an aspirated sound. The pronunciation is 

조타 [jo-ta] not 좋다 [joh-da].🙅‍♀️

많지: This verb means "to be many" or "to be numerous." Similar to the previous example, the ㅎ in 많 [manh] affects the pronunciation of the ㅈ in 지 [ji], creating an aspirated sound. The pronunciation is 만치 [man-chi] not 많지 [manh-ji].🙅‍♂️

놓고 [노코] 좋고 [조코] 많지 [만치] 좋던 [조턴]

맏형 [마텽] 좁히다 [조피다] 먹히다 [머키다]

4. Also, when ㅎ is in the batchim position, if the consonant ㄴ comes after the ㅎ, the ㅎ is pronounced as ㄴ.

좋니 [존니] [jon-ni] asking if it is good     

많니 [만니] [man-ni] asking if it is many

As you learn more Korean, it's important to get used to these differences in pronunciation. Keep practicing, and don't forget to embrace the subtle beauty of the Korean language!🫶

               📢Announcement🎊

  Our early bird 🐦 discount period for our class is ending soon. You can take advantage of the discounted price and enroll in our class until March 31st.🗓️ If you are still hesitant about signing up, check out the class through the link below. If you have any concerns or questions before registering for the class, please feel free to contact me at any time.

감사합니다 for joining us journey! Stay tuned for our next newsletter!🤗