TOPIK TOPIK Korean Pronunciation and Phonology

Question 1

How many basic consonants are in the Korean alphabet (Hangul)?

Accepted Answer

14

Answer

There are 14 basic consonants in Hangul.

Question 2

What phonological process causes the final consonant 'ㄱ' to be pronounced as 'ㅇ' before a following vowel?

Accepted Answer

Liaison (연음)

Answer

Liaison (연음, yeonum) causes a final consonant to link to the initial vowel of the next syllable.

Question 3

Which Korean vowel is known as the 'ah' sound and is represented by the Hangul character 'ㅏ'?

Accepted Answer

ㅏ

Answer

ㅏ represents the open 'ah' vowel sound in Korean.

Question 4

What happens to the aspirated consonant 'ㅎ' when it follows a voiced segment in casual speech?

Accepted Answer

It is often weakened or deleted

Answer

In natural speech, intervocalic ㅎ tends to weaken or disappear, e.g., 좋아요 pronounced [조아요].

Question 5

In Korean, the consonant cluster rule (겹받침) means that when two final consonants appear, which one is generally pronounced?

Accepted Answer

The one determined by the following sound

Answer

Which consonant in a 겹받침 cluster is pronounced depends on what follows—a consonant or a vowel.

TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) Practice Test