noun
hangul
HAHN-gool
Hangul (noun) means the phonetic alphabet used to write the Korean language. Example: “She spent the flight learning to read hangul.”
noun
1
The phonetic alphabet used to write the Korean language.
"She spent the flight learning to read hangul."
"Street signs in Seoul are written in hangul, often with English beneath."
"Hangul looks very different from the Latin alphabet."
Examples of hangul in a sentence →
How to use hangul
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe alphabet that Korean is written in.
When to use it
It is a neutral term used in everyday speech and in writing.
Memory tip
Say it as two syllables, HAHN-gool, with the stress on the first.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
learn hangul
read hangul
write in hangul
hangul alphabet
hangul characters
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She spent the flight learning to read _____.
Etymology
English borrowed the word from Korean, where the name 한글 (han'geul) means the Korean script.
Synonyms
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Chosongul
Frequently asked questions
What is hangul?
Hangul is the phonetic alphabet used to write the Korean language.
How do you spell hangul in English?
Hangul is the common English spelling, based on the McCune-Reischauer transcription. Hangeul, from the South Korean romanization systems, is also used and is sometimes preferred by scholars.
What is the difference between hangul and hangeul?
They are two English spellings of the same Korean word. Hangeul follows the official South Korean romanization, while hangul is the more common English spelling.
What is the meaning of hangul?
"hangul" (noun) means the phonetic alphabet used to write the Korean language.
