Linking Sounds (연음화)
When a syllable ending in a consonant (받침) is followed by ㅇ, the final consonant moves to the next syllable.
Liaison (연음화) is the most common sound change in Korean and the reason intermediate learners often feel they 'can read but can't understand spoken Korean'. The rule is simple: when a syllable ending in a consonant 받침 is followed by a syllable starting with the silent ㅇ, the final consonant slides over and becomes the next syllable's initial consonant in pronunciation. Spelling does not change, only pronunciation.
Classic example: 한국어 (Korean language) is spelled han + guk + eo but pronounced han + gu + geo. The ㄱ of 국 slides over to the front of 어, making the second syllable sound like 'gu' and the third like 'geo'. Once you internalise this rule, vast amounts of natural Korean speech that previously felt 'fast' or 'slurred' resolve into something you can clearly parse. Practice with the example words in this lesson — read each word slowly first, then at natural speed, listening for the consonant shift.
연음화 — The Basic Rule
When a syllable ends in a consonant (받침) and the next syllable starts with ㅇ (silent), the 받침 moves to become the initial consonant of the next syllable. Written: 먹어요 [meok-eo-yo] → Spoken: [meo-geo-yo].
Double 받침 (겹받침) and 연음화
Some syllables have two final consonants (겹받침). When followed by ㅇ, usually the second consonant moves to the next syllable. 읽어요: 읽(ㄹㄱ) + 어요 → [일거요]. 앉아요: 앉(ㄴㅈ) + 아요 → [안자요].
Cultural & Language Note
연음화 is not a rule Koreans consciously apply — it is simply what happens when you speak at natural speed, the same way English 'did you' becomes 'didja'. This is why Korean spelling and pronunciation diverge: the writing system preserves the underlying form of each word so you can recognise it, while speech smooths the boundaries. Korean spelling is morphophonemic by design, a deliberate choice made when the modern orthography was standardised.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Learners read 먹어요 syllable by syllable as 'meok-eo-yo' and it sounds robotic. It is 'meo-geo-yo' — the ㄱ moves across. The rule only applies before ㅇ, though: 먹다 stays 'meok-tta' because ㄷ is a real consonant, not a placeholder. Mixing this up and linking everywhere is as noticeable as never linking at all.