While she is a linguist, The Mouse finds the Romanization of Korean, though convenient, rather cumbersome, and is in favor of the traditional writing system, since, many times, the Romanization makes less sense to her than the traditional form. She was originally going to learn the characters based on their Romanizations, but after seeing how this was done, went for a phonetic approach instead, and while first learning the alphabet, created a chart that went something like this:
Hangeul / Romanization / IPA (equivalent sound in English or French, or dne where one Does Not Exist)
CONSONANTS
ᄀ / g, k / [k˭] (as in English waking)
ᄁ / kk / [kʼ] (plosive k, dne in English)*
ᄂ / n / [n] (as in note)
ᄃ / d, t / [t˭] (unaspirated t, does not really exist in English, since [t˭] --> [ɾ] in English. As in French thé)
ᄄ / tt / [tʼ] (plosive t, dne in English)*
ᄅ / l, r / [l, ɾ, n, 0] (English lion, cater, noise, or silent, respectively)
ᄆ / m / [m] (English moat)
ᄇ / b, p / [p˭] (English paper, French papier)
ᄈ / pp / [pʼ] (plosive p, dne in English)*
ᄉ / s / [s, ɕ] (English snake, similar to English shell, but palatal - further forward)
ᄊ / ss / [sʼ] (plosive s, dne in English)
ᄋ / ng / [ŋ] (English king)
ᄌ / j / [ʨ˭, ʥ˭] (Similar to English etching, edging, palatal)
ᄍ / jj / [ʨʼ, ʥʼ] (plosive ch, dg - dne in English)
ᄎ / ch / [ʨʰ, ʥʰ] (Similar to English cheese and judge, palatal)
ᄏ / k / [kʰ] (English king)
ᄐ / t / [tʰ] (English token)
ᄑ / p / [pʰ] (English paper)
ᄒ / h / [h, ɦ] (English hike, similar to French rue, glottal - further back)
*A Note on "Plosive" Sounds:
Plosive sounds do not directly exist in English, but can be compared to saying two words back to back, with similar sounds at the end of the first word and beginning of the second word, while trying to stress both sounds.
Plosive k as in as in "cake guru"
Plosive t as in "don't drink"
Plosive p as in "lip balm"
Plosive s as in "Kate's snake"
Plosive j as in "judge Judge"
Linguist's Notes:
[s, s'] --> [ɕ] // _ [i, j]
[s] and [s'] become [ɕ] in the case that they occur before [i] or [j]
Example 시 (Hour, time) - expected pronunciation [si], actual pronunciation [ɕi]
[s, s'] --> [ɕ] // _ [i, j]
[s] and [s'] become [ɕ] in the case that they occur before [i] or [j]
Example 시 (Hour, time) - expected pronunciation [si], actual pronunciation [ɕi]
Stop --> Stop̚ // _#
Stops become clipped in syllable-final or word-final position.
Example: 십 (Ten) - expected pronunciation [ɕip˭], actual pronunciation [ɕip̚ ]
[s, s', ʨ, ʥ, t] --> [t̚ ] // _C or _S
Palatal and alveopalatal sounds become the same sound (clipped "t") when followed by a consonant or when occurring in sentence-final position.
Stops become clipped in syllable-final or word-final position.
Example: 십 (Ten) - expected pronunciation [ɕip˭], actual pronunciation [ɕip̚ ]
[s, s', ʨ, ʥ, t] --> [t̚ ] // _C or _S
Palatal and alveopalatal sounds become the same sound (clipped "t") when followed by a consonant or when occurring in sentence-final position.
Example: 시읏 (the name for the letter ㅅ) - expected pronunciation [ɕi.ɯs], actual pronunciation [ɕi.ɯt̚ ]
[ʨ˭, ʨʼ, ʨʰ, h] ~~> +V // +V_+V
This seems dialectal in many cases, but voiceless affricates [ʨ] and fricative [h] become voiced between two voiced sounds (this usually occurs intervocalically).
This seems dialectal in many cases, but voiceless affricates [ʨ] and fricative [h] become voiced between two voiced sounds (this usually occurs intervocalically).
[l] --> [ɾ] // V_V, or _#, especially in borrowings
ᄅ is generally [ɾ] in syllable-initial position and [l] in syllable-final position, but when it occurs intervocalically, or both at the end of a syllable AND the beginning of the next, it is pronounced as [ɾ], especially in borrowed words.
Example: 몰라요 (I don't know), expected pronunciation [mol.ɾa.jo], actual pronunciation [mo.ɾa.jo]
[l] --> [n]// _#. especially _[i, j]
[l] sometimes --> 0// N #_[i,j]
The second of these is definitely more common, and I feel that perhaps it's dialectal. ㄹ can sound like [n] in syllable-final position especially before [i, j].
More commonly, it becomes mute in syllable-initial position, especially when preceded by a nasal and followed by [i] or [j]
Example 능률 (Efficiency), expected pronunciation [nɯŋ.ɾjul], actual pronunciation [nɯŋ.jul]
EDIT (7 February, 2015) Although The Mouse has encountered the first instance very rarely, contrary to her readings, it actually seems to occur most often following [ŋ], regardless of the vowel following ㄹ
The only examples that come to mind at the moment are two neighborhoods in Seoul, which The Mouse noted on her subway journey today.
종로 - expected pronunciation [ʨ˭oŋ.ɾo] - actual pronunciation [ʨ˭oŋ.ɾo] (It's even romanized as "Jongno," rather than "Jongro.")
충정로 - expected pronunciation [ʨʰuŋ.ʨ˭ɔŋ.ɾo] - actual pronunciation [ʨʰuŋ.ʨ˭ɔŋ.no], also romanized with an "n" rather than an "r."
[j] --> [ɲ] // [p, b, m --> m]_
When occurring after a bilabial consonant, [j] becomes [ɲ]. The bilabial consonant becomes [m]
Example 십육 (Sixteen) - expected pronunciation [ɕip˭juk˭], actual pronunciation [ɕimɲuk̚]
[l] sometimes --> 0// N #_[i,j]
The second of these is definitely more common, and I feel that perhaps it's dialectal. ㄹ can sound like [n] in syllable-final position especially before [i, j].
More commonly, it becomes mute in syllable-initial position, especially when preceded by a nasal and followed by [i] or [j]
Example 능률 (Efficiency), expected pronunciation [nɯŋ.ɾjul], actual pronunciation [nɯŋ.jul]
EDIT (7 February, 2015) Although The Mouse has encountered the first instance very rarely, contrary to her readings, it actually seems to occur most often following [ŋ], regardless of the vowel following ㄹ
The only examples that come to mind at the moment are two neighborhoods in Seoul, which The Mouse noted on her subway journey today.
종로 - expected pronunciation [ʨ˭oŋ.ɾo] - actual pronunciation [ʨ˭oŋ.ɾo] (It's even romanized as "Jongno," rather than "Jongro.")
충정로 - expected pronunciation [ʨʰuŋ.ʨ˭ɔŋ.ɾo] - actual pronunciation [ʨʰuŋ.ʨ˭ɔŋ.no], also romanized with an "n" rather than an "r."
[j] --> [ɲ] // [p, b, m --> m]_
When occurring after a bilabial consonant, [j] becomes [ɲ]. The bilabial consonant becomes [m]
Example 십육 (Sixteen) - expected pronunciation [ɕip˭juk˭], actual pronunciation [ɕimɲuk̚]
VOWELS
ᅡ / a / [a] (as in English pot)
ᅢ / ae / [ɛ] (English get)
ᅣ / ya / [ja] (French piano)
ᅤ / yae / [jɛ] (English yellow)
ᅥ / eo / [ʌ] (Similar to English fun)
ᅦ / e / [e] (French étude)
ᅧ / yeo / [jʌ] (Similar to English young)
ᅨ / ye / [je] (French papier)
ᅩ / o / [o] (French faux)
ᅪ / wa / [wa] (English water)
ᅫ / wae / [wɛ] (English wet)
ᅬ / oe / [we, ø] (French ouais, yeux)
ᅭ / yo / [jo] (French bibliothèque)
ᅮ / u / [u] (English stoop)
ᅯ / wo / [wʌ] (Similar to English one)
ᅰ / we / [we] (French ouais)
ᅱ / wi / [ɥi] (French nuit)
ᅲ / yu / [ju] (French Sioux)
ᅳ / eu / [ɯ] (Similar to English put, but less round, though still tense.)
ᅴ / ui / [ɰi] (No English or French equivalent. put + seat)
ᅵ / i / [i] (English seat)
One might see now (particularly with vowel pronunciation) why The Mouse is so happy that she knows French. One might wonder why The Mouse would hesitate to use similar sounds in English for certain examples (e.g. "you" for ᅲ / yu / [ju]), and that is because English sounds [i, e, u, o] naturally have off-glides for most speakers - [j] on front vowels [i] and [e], and [w] on back vowels [u] and [o], and thus they are not quite the same as they are pronounced in Korean, since Korean vowels do not contain off-glides, and instead are "pure vowels," or more-tensed vowels, which exist in French but not in English.
The Mouse Fiancé, on the other hand, is very good at mimicking sounds, and is also having an easy time with it. There are still a few that give The Mouse some trouble in linking the Hangeul to the pronunciation, but for the most part she finds this easier than linking the Romanizations to the pronunciation, because the Hangeul is more systematic. Related sounds are more likely to LOOK related, at least to The Mouse, who has a strong background in phonology, and tends to see the resemblance more quickly in the Hangeul characters than in some of the Romanized equivalents (particularly with oe, ui, eu, eo, yeo, wo, wi, g/k, t/d, and p/b, the latter three of which are more distinguishable from their aspirated counterparts in Hangeul).
The Mouse Fiancé, on the other hand, is very good at mimicking sounds, and is also having an easy time with it. There are still a few that give The Mouse some trouble in linking the Hangeul to the pronunciation, but for the most part she finds this easier than linking the Romanizations to the pronunciation, because the Hangeul is more systematic. Related sounds are more likely to LOOK related, at least to The Mouse, who has a strong background in phonology, and tends to see the resemblance more quickly in the Hangeul characters than in some of the Romanized equivalents (particularly with oe, ui, eu, eo, yeo, wo, wi, g/k, t/d, and p/b, the latter three of which are more distinguishable from their aspirated counterparts in Hangeul).
Overall, The Mouse would rate this a very easy and systematic alphabet to learn, but would love to hear some feedback from her non-linguist friends.
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