Hangul · consonant · 1 of 40

ㄱ 기역

Name: 기역 giyeok
Sound: g or k, as in 가
How it sounds: At the start of a word it sits between English g and k, with only a light breath, so many learners hear a k. Between vowels it softens to a clear g, and at the end of a block it is a k that is stopped but not released.
Memory hook: The shape is a side view of the tongue: its back rises and presses against the soft palate, which is exactly where you make g or k. Say 'go' slowly and feel the spot.
Watch for: Blowing out a strong English k at the start of a word, which turns 가 into the breathy 카.

Words that use ㄱ

Romanisation help

가방

gabang

bag

고기

gogi

meat

가게

gage

shop

Stroke order · 1 stroke

1. Across from the top left, then turn and sweep down, curving slightly left at the bottom.

General rules

Top to bottom, left to right.
Horizontal strokes are written left to right, vertical ones top to bottom.
Many corners are turned without lifting the pen, so ㄱ and ㄴ are each a single stroke.
ㅇ is drawn anticlockwise, starting from the top.
Vowels follow the same order: ㅏ and ㅜ start with the long line, while ㅓ and ㅗ start with the short stroke.
In a block, write the consonant first, then the vowel, then any final consonant.

Practise it with a tracing guide and a from-memory pass on the writing practice page.

ㄱ is taught on day 2 of the Hangul course, alongside ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ, with a memory hook, words to read and two writing passes.