Korean Job Discussion Forums

[IncognitoHFX]

I'm working on my grammar. Just curious about some basic pronunciation. For some reason, when Koreans say something I have trouble mimicking it exactly which causes misunderstanding when speaking.

Something I have trouble hearing properly as well as communicating effectively is the object markers 를 and 을. What is a good rule of thumb when saying:를? Is it like, r-u-l or "Ruul"? Or more of a "Luul"? My poor vocal chords can't seem to emulate it very well.

The next problem is the word "read". I should know this, but I don't. It's
읽기, so how would I pronounce the 읽? Like, "Il" or "Ik"...?

[cazzy3]

i've had similar problems with the pronunciation of any word with the 으 sound it it. figures most of my girl students are named 은 지 or something!! i think it's a difficult sound for many of us foreignors. as for the indirect object 을 and 를, i don't think they put too much emphasis on the pronunciation unless the preceding word ends in a vowel sound.

i think it's a very subtle sound that shouldn't be stressed too powerfully.

[IlIlNine]

[jkelly80]

읽기 sounds like "eek gee", but the k is softer than in english. the ㄹ is silent in that syllable unless it's followed by a vowel sound, ie 읽어요 becomes "eel gaw yo" (or something like that). but 읽다 goes back to being "eek da"

Usually the rieul is silent when followed by kiyeok in the same syllable, but if there's a vowel afterwards, you liaison it over.

닭-"dak"
닭이-"dal gee"

As far as pronouncing 를, i think you need to ask a korean. that's tough.

[IncognitoHFX]

Thanks for your help guys It has been appreciated. The textbooks / websites I'm going by don't seem to make much mention of this stuff.

Next item, why does the 받침 double 's' (ㅆ) / single 's' (ㅅ) or a 'ch' (ㅊ) sound occasionally make a "T" sound? Like in 곳? But in words like 있어 it is pronounced normally?

[Stevie_B]

[ajgeddes]

You know, I am not trying to be a twit here, but this is the problem with writing Korean. It isn't pronounced as 'rul' or 'ruul' but rather as 를. Yeah I know, no help is it. Well that's the issue with Korean. You really have to master the pronunciation of their letters using their alphabet and you have to not even ask questions using ours. It works sometimes, but when you get down the difficult pronunciation issues, well.... you know.

[Gwangjuboy]