Step 3 · Syllable blocks
Letters go into a square, not a line
This is the part that surprises people. Korean letters do not sit side by side like Latin ones — they stack into a block, one block per syllable. Where each letter goes depends on the vowel: an upright vowel stands to the right, a flat one lies underneath.
한
han
ㅎㅏㄴ
Three rules and you can place any letter
- The consonant always comes first — top-left, or on top.
- An upright vowel (ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅣ) stands to the right of it: 가, 너, 리.
- A flat vowel (ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ) lies underneath it: 고, 누, 므.
A final consonant, if there is one, goes at the bottom of the block — under everything else. That is the whole system: three slots.
The full chart
14 consonants across 10 vowels. Tap any block to hear it, or press play on a row to hear one consonant run through every vowel — that is how the sound of a letter stops being a rule and starts being something you recognise.
| ㅏa | ㅑya | ㅓeo | ㅕyeo | ㅗo | ㅛyo | ㅜu | ㅠyu | ㅡeu | ㅣi | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱg | |||||||||||
| ㅋk | |||||||||||
| ㄴn | |||||||||||
| ㄷd | |||||||||||
| ㅌt | |||||||||||
| ㄹr | |||||||||||
| ㅁm | |||||||||||
| ㅂb | |||||||||||
| ㅍp | |||||||||||
| ㅅs | |||||||||||
| ㅈj | |||||||||||
| ㅊch | |||||||||||
| ㅇ– | |||||||||||
| ㅎh |