Batchim (받침) is the final consonant at the bottom of a Korean syllable block. The key facts: 27 letters can sit there, but they collapse into just 7 sounds - [k], [n], [t], [l], [m], [p], [ng]. Final stops are unreleased (no burst), which is why 부엌 sounds like 부억. And by the liaison rule, a batchim jumps to the next syllable when it starts with a silent ㅇ: 한국어 → 한구거.
You learned Hangul, you can read 가, 나, 다 - and then a word like 한국어 comes out of a Korean mouth as “han-gu-geo” and your reading falls apart. The culprit is always the same: the batchim. It’s the single biggest gap between how Korean is spelled and how it’s said. Master a handful of rules and you’ll finally hear what you’re reading.
What a batchim is
A Korean syllable block stacks its letters. Consonant + vowel gives you a two-part block like 가 (g + a). Add a consonant underneath and you get a three-part block like 강 (g + a + ng). That bottom consonant is the batchim (받침, “support”). It can even be two letters wide (닭, 앉). Nearly every Korean pronunciation rule is really a batchim rule.
The 7 sounds every batchim reduces to
This is the rule that unlocks everything. No matter which consonant is written in the batchim slot, it is pronounced as one of just seven representative sounds. Aspiration and tension disappear in final position.
| Sound | Letters that make it | Example | Said as |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ㄱ] k | ㄱ ㅋ ㄲ | 부엌 | 부억 (bu-eok) |
| [ㄴ] n | ㄴ | 산 | 산 (san) |
| [ㄷ] t | ㄷ ㅌ ㅅ ㅆ ㅈ ㅊ ㅎ | 옷 | 옫 (ot) |
| [ㄹ] l | ㄹ | 물 | 물 (mul) |
| [ㅁ] m | ㅁ | 밤 | 밤 (bam) |
| [ㅂ] p | ㅂ ㅍ | 앞 | 압 (ap) |
| [ㅇ] ng | ㅇ | 강 | 강 (gang) |
So 옷 (clothes), 낮 (daytime) and 꽃 (flower) - written with ㅅ, ㅈ and ㅊ - all end in the same [t] sound: 옫, 낟, 꼳. Seven buckets, and every final consonant drops into one of them.
Unreleased stops: the “swallowed” ending
The [k], [t] and [p] batchim are unreleased - your mouth moves into the shape but never lets the air pop out. English does this in “cat” said sharply, or the first k in “bookcase.” That’s why 밥 (rice) doesn’t end in a puff of “p” - the lips just close. Get this and your accent instantly sounds more Korean and less textbook.
Liaison (연음): the rule that changes everything
Here is the big one. When a syllable ending in a batchim is followed by a syllable that starts with the silent ㅇ, the batchim slides across and is pronounced as the first sound of that next syllable. The spelling stays; the sound moves.
| Written | Pronounced | English |
|---|---|---|
| 한국어 | 한구거 (han-gu-geo) | Korean language |
| 음악 | 으막 (eu-mak) | music |
| 있어요 | 이써요 (i-sseo-yo) | there is / to have |
| 꽃이 | 꼬치 (kko-chi) | flower (+ subject) |
| 직업 | 지겁 (ji-geop) | occupation |
Notice 꽃이: the “hidden” original ㅊ comes back when a vowel follows, so it’s 꼬치 (kko-chi), not 꼳이. The batchim reduces to 7 sounds only when it’s truly final - a following vowel revives the real letter. This single rule explains why particles like 이, 은, 을 seem to “attach” to the word before them.
Double batchim (겹받침)
Some blocks carry two consonants underneath, like 닭 (chicken) or 앉다 (to sit). In final position, normally only one is pronounced; the other stays silent until a vowel pulls it out.
| Word | Alone | Before a vowel |
|---|---|---|
| 닭 | 닥 (dak) | 닭이 → 달기 (dal-gi) |
| 읽다 | 익따 (ik-tta) | 읽어 → 일거 (il-geo) |
| 없다 | 업따 (eop-tta) | 없어 → 업써 (eop-sseo) |
Which of the two survives isn’t random, but there are enough exceptions that the reliable path is to learn each word’s sound from audio rather than memorise a table of clusters.
Batchim in one glance
- The batchim is the final consonant at the bottom of a block (강 = g-a-ng).
- 27 letters, but only 7 final sounds: k, n, t, l, m, p, ng.
- Final [k], [t], [p] are unreleased - no puff of air.
- Liaison: batchim + silent ㅇ → the batchim moves over (한국어 → 한구거).
- A following vowel revives the original letter (꽃이 → 꼬치).
Train your ear on real batchim, not charts
Batchim rules only stick when you hear them. Hanguljo’s Foundation lessons teach Hangul and pronunciation with native audio, so the 7 final sounds and the liaison rule are built into how you learn each word. Then TOPIK 1–6 lessons, a 7-stage SRS and conversation shadowing turn correct pronunciation into a habit you don’t have to think about.
Learn Korean with Hanguljo - FreeFrequently asked questions
Why does Korean spelling not match the pronunciation?
Because Korean spelling preserves each word’s underlying form, while speech applies the batchim rules - 7-sound reduction, liaison and assimilation. The spelling stays constant so you can recognise the root; your job is to apply the sound rules on top. 꽃 is always written 꽃, but said 꼳, 꼬치 or 꼰 depending on what follows.
What happens with a batchim before ㄴ or ㅁ?
Nasal assimilation: a [k], [t] or [p] batchim before ㄴ/ㅁ turns into the matching nasal. 국물 (soup broth) is said 궁물 (gung-mul), and 입니다 is said 임니다 (im-ni-da). It’s automatic once your ear is trained.
Is batchim the hardest part of Korean pronunciation?
For most learners, yes - it’s where reading and listening diverge. But it’s a small, closed set of rules, so it rewards focused practice quickly, unlike open-ended vocabulary.
Do I need to memorise all 27 final letters?
No - memorise the 7 sound buckets and the liaison rule, then learn words with audio. The individual letters resurface naturally through liaison, so you absorb them in context.
Keep reading
The Korean Alphabet (Hangul) Guide
Learn to read every letter and build syllable blocks from scratch.
Korean Particles Explained
은/는 vs 이/가 and the little tags that run Korean - and how liaison glues them on.
How to Say Hello in Korean
안녕하세요 and beyond - greetings by politeness level.