How to Pronounce ㄹ | Korean FAQ

How do you pronounce ㄹ? Is it an “L” or an “R” or something else? I’ve often been asked how to pronounce this letter, so let’s look at the way it should be pronounced by studying the actual way this sound is produced inside of your mouth.
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Music by Kevin MacLeod: "Beachfront Celebration," “MJS Strings,” and “Brightly Fancy.” (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 (creativecommons...)

[@dptlsldk9186]

I like how Billy changes to different color markers but comes out white on screen!

[@GoBillyKorean]

That's due to these markers being so thin, and the light being really bright. I could probably improve it the next time I film these.

[@dptlsldk9186]

@@GoBillyKorean I understand. It doesn't bother me, it was just something I noticed

[@shadowknight82]

Lol...I didn't even notice it till I read this message. That's definitely weird how all the colours show up as white.

[@vespa2223]

I don't know, I thought it was kind of cool magic, just like your description of how to say this letter! Thank you so much! I will also add that it is not just ears hearing a certain way. Native speakers can lean in one direction or another. At the local Korean market, husband and wife will say the same word (sometimes my name, Lauren) and his sound is very L and her's is very R. Every time. With her, especially at the end of 한국어는. She definitely sounds R, and he says this with a very clear L sound. They are both from Korea. Dialect maybe?

[@shutdahellup69420]

i was thinking the same thing 😂

[@user-fx4dy1zw1b]

Wow I've always wondered why are there so many english speakers having trouble pronouncing ㄹ. Now i see it.. this is very interesting video.

[@user-fx4dy1zw1b]

@@adrienne4027 True

[@alicejunghan1829]

Yoongi WHO? actually it’s a lot more simple than english for example, and don’t even get me started on french. don’t feel bad about yourself; you’ll get there one day, it just takes practice. everyone learns at different paces too, so it’s okay that you don’t understand from this video. :)

[@shutdahellup69420]

@@alicejunghan1829 *O M G* we had french in our school as an additional language, and it was hard af to pronounce, like when u learn hangul, you know how to pronounce the word, but not so much in French 😂 Tbh korean is alot easier than French, Im trilingual, korean is my 4th one

[@katelynmancheno7441]

@@shutdahellup69420 tri means three not four

[@shutdahellup69420]

@@katelynmancheno7441 well i dont think its a good idea for me to say im "quadrilingual" as im still on a beginner to intermediate level in korean, hence i dont think im fluent enough to say im quadrilingual. ;-;

[@mikaylalavigne7477]

I’ve tried so hard to master “ㄹ” but I truly believe this is the first video to have ever really helped me.

[@GoBillyKorean]

Glad it helped!

[@theschwoopsiedaisy953]

no literally

[@spankyhanderson3680]

This is the FIRST time I have finally understood how to pronounce ㄹ. I came to this video convinced that you were going to tell me that at the beginning of a word it is pronounced like “R” and in the middle or end of a word it is pronounced like “L.” I never would have imagined the real answer would be so simple and easy to understand and implement. Thank you!!!!

[@mulanphan5925]

After six months i FINALLY understand how to say ㄹwithout switching between an 'l' and throat-rolled 'r', thank you billy!

[@eliskapirklova6307]

This is actually the best ㄹ pronunciation video I've ever seen, it was very helpful! Thank you so much!

[@TheHekateris]

Somewhat what I hear when I say ㄹ is L with overtones of R, and sometimes it's just L. Very frustrating (and why I gave up on French, ha!). I'm also very impressed with your ability to write backwards.

[@GoBillyKorean]

I knew once I started this series that I'd forever get comments about writing backward, but actually this is just mirrored in my editing program :)

[@winniemaereact1391]

As a native French speaker, I’d like to say sorry 😂

[@PopRockandRoll12]

@@winniemaereact1391 I’m only ever able to pronounce the French ‘R’ by fluke 😂.

[@karikasumi888]

This is such a good explanation on how to say ㄹ! I've struggled with pronouncing it right and not saying it like a l or r in English. Your mouth and tongue position tips made it so clear and made me able to say it correctly!!!:):) Thank you so much for your videos and advice on learning Korean. :) This is the best explanation. :)

[@smartwind330]

Thanks Billy! This syllabus is the hardest to me during my Korean learning. And by asking the native Korean doesn't guarantee a clear explanation either. My Korean husband has been telling me I am not pronouncing it correctly but he just couldn't tell exactly what's wrong. Now I am more confident to pronounce it right! Thanks!

[@GotInterest]

THIS EXPLAINS SO MUCH. Now I know how to pronounce ㄹ. But also, Red Velvet has a song called "Rookie" where they sing the word rookie over and over but it sounds like they are singing "lookie" instead of "rookie". Since I knew that there were Korean words that had what sounded like "r" to my ear, I was confused as to why they were struggling to pronounce the "r" at the beginning of "rookie". But now I can see that they were actually pronouncing the "r" the same way they would "ㄹ" because they hadn't yet learned the right tongue placement. I guess the r/l/ㄹ difficulty goes both ways. It will take a bit of practice to get used to putting my tongue in the right position, haha.

[@lulusilverio]

billy i love your videos !! you deserve everything good that comes your way, bc you're so hard working ! thank you for this amazing and quality content!!!!❤️

[@lewisbenson5301]

sorry to be so offtopic but does someone know of a way to get back into an instagram account? I was stupid forgot my login password. I would appreciate any help you can offer me.

[@billykarson5121]

@Lewis Benson instablaster =)

[@lewisbenson5301]

@Billy Karson Thanks so much for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im in the hacking process atm. Takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@lewisbenson5301]

@Billy Karson it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy! Thank you so much you saved my ass!

[@billykarson5121]

@Lewis Benson No problem xD

[@sadrahblack]

I needed this video. Thank you for being so detailed!

[@SherryOsborne]

Three years after this video was uploaded, I found it and you BLEW MY MIND. Thank you SO much for this.

[@hopehart7602]

This is soooo helpful!! Thank you! Currently watching a lot of your videos at once because I just discovered your channel! I'm a new American foreign teacher in Korea who is prioritizing learning the language. It's nice to have explanations from a native English speaker to supplement my Korean language classes with a Korean teacher! I also know from experience how hard it is to make educational videos that that are also succinct and entertaining-- lighting, sound, scripts, sharp edits, etc. At risk of sharing too much in a public YT comment, I just want to say I think you do a really good job.

[@jeannieg4822]

Awesome explanation. Very helpful. Thank you.

[@Brandon-nl4rg]

I would pay money if you did this for every consonant and vowel in 한글

[@susansouthgate2774]

He does a course of 18/19 videos covering basics..

[@jeff__w]

The two sounds are made with the tip of the tongue at the dental ridge but they are *not* the same. Here’s how Choo and O’Grady who wrote _Sounds of Korean: A Pronunciation Guide_ distinguish them: ㄹ between vowels [e.g, 노래] or at the beginning of a word [e.g., 리본]: the tip and/or blade of the tongue *flaps quickly against* the dental ridge (it’s basically a “flapped r” found in Spanish words like _caro_ and it’s similar to the _tt_ in _butter_ as pronounced by North Americans) ㄹ in front of a consonant [e.g, 날씨], at the end of a word that stands alone [e.g. 불], or after another ㄹ [e.g., 달리]: the tip and/or blade of the tongue *touches against* the dental ridge _Summary:_ the “r-sounding” ㄹ has a tongue flap; the “l-sounding” ㄹdoes not.

[@GoBillyKorean]

It's the same tongue position, and the different sounds come depending on where ㄹ appears in the word - but the tongue location in the mouth stays the same. However it's also not consistent when at the start/end/middle of a word - and that's also because it's really just the tongue position changing the sound. If you practice the correct tongue position, the sound will be accurate no matter where it is within a word. So in summary, the sound changes you're mentioning (which do exist) will occur *naturally* on their own simply through using the correct tongue location. You fortunately don't have to worry about how ㄹ is pronounced in each individual word in Korean, if you're able to move your tongue simply to the right spot each time.

[@jeff__w]

@@GoBillyKorean That’s a good response. I just wanted to clarify that you’re not just “hearing” the differences in the sounds-it’s not just that the sound is somehow “softer” (or not)-the sound differences are based on differences in what your tongue is doing at that position.

[@GoBillyKorean]

@@jeff__w Sure. And yeah I get what you mean. The "sound" is actually different.

[@cait8747]

Wow this was such a simple yet impressive explanation of what is generally one of the most difficult sounds for people learning Korean to make. Thanks Billy^^ If you could make some videos on the dreaded double consonants that would be great.

[@sevaraismanova3024]

Hi Billy . I really enjoy your lessons . Good luck!

[@mandikim]

I have always thought 리을 sounded like a “D”!!!!! Especially when I say 오늘은... really quickly. Thanks for the explanation!!! My husband has worked with me so much on the 리을 but it just clicked when you explained it! 감사합니다!!!!!

[@juliettebraden3328]

I find it easier to pronounce unfamiliar sounds when I can see tongue placement! I really appreciate it! Hearing it is not always enough!

[@けいら-o4i]

I have been stuck on this for weeks before I finally found your channel thank you so much for helping me

[@paulwalther5237]

You’re giving me hope. I will have to watch this video on repeat many times.

[@GoBillyKorean]

You can do it!

[@thesmilingclownjeonghanlikes]

WOW! This is really helpful!!! Thank you so much!

[@박돌-m9e]

Ooooo fancy glass board!!!!

[@deana7662]

You’re always the most helpful channel for me in learning korean, thank you so much ☺️ I love this language

[@channelpolitica1364]

I have a tip for anyone who is having trouble pronouncing ㄹ: L is pronounced with your tongue touching the tip of your teeth. ㄹ is pronounced with your tongue touching the start of your palate. R is pronounced with your tongue touching the middle of your palate. So it is really in the middle of L and R not only in the way it sounds but the way it is pronounced. Hope this helps...

[@lovestay3379]

This is literally what he was explaining in the video

[@Sofi00]

Thanks Billy, you’re the only one that can explain things so easily!

[@monicato8026]

I've never commented on here before, but I wanted to come on here to say thank you because this is extremely helpful!

[@monetbabazadeh]

SUCH GOOD explanation!!! PERFECT OMG

[@PuffySofty]

Yeah, I was confused why English speakers always mark ㄹ with a r, it’s funny cuz the actual r is hard for Koreans to pronounce.

[@emilyr7547]

Thank you. I struggle with this letter more than all the others combined!

[@rausnow458]

This format of video is amazing, i love this new section. Keep it up with the great work billy, thanks a lot.

[@DanaDissent]

Thank you!!! I struggled with this sound, even when I was studying Japanese for a while. It wasn't until I started learning Korean and then found your videos (thank you, Bangtan Academy and Selin! 💜), that I was actually able to finally get this sound!!! ㄹ was such a struggle for me, but now I've been able to sound more natural. Thanks, Billy!!! 🤗

[@clover_j]

accurate description. ㄹ is pronounced as soft flap sound [ɾ] something like portuguese word medial r sound. thus, distinct from rolled or trilled r sounds, when it comes in syllabic coda position the tongue tip reaches the alveolar ridge and stay undetached like other cases of korean codas or english nasal endings, so that it makes [l] sound.

[@beccanine]

This is the best description I have heard! I'v been struggling with this forever! THANK YOU!!!

[@트리안-p6k]

Thank you so much!! You just sloved my 20 yrs old problem I was struggling with pronounce 리을 even I am Korean but now I can

[@baileythompson8774]

I was so confused with my book, and then when you explained it just clicked in my head

[@ikuvam]

What a helly masterpiece. I should appreciate the technique of teaching skills than your language skills.. You are an amazing teacher.

[@Інеса-э5ц]

Such an easy, but stop a magic trick!!! Thank you so much! For me it was incredibly useful to watch your video 👍👍👍

[@MIA-xh3xg]

thank you so so much billy, i was having such a hard time with that letter

[@kiwimiwi5452]

I got confused on how to pronounce ㄹ. I watched a video made by a native korean and got even more confused, I tried this video and yeah.. turns out I've been doing it right all along. This video was very helpful, I like the way you explain things👍

[@esval8078]

This is the best video I’ve ever found on how to pronounce ㄹ. The drawings of where to place your tongue are really helpful! Also, I’ve just realised that the background music is the Troom Troom intro music haha (4:30).

[@beckytegg]

Thank you! What a great way of teaching it! Thank you thank you!

[@michaelshort2388]

THANK YOU!! I have always struggled with this letter.

[@lynmon7198]

THANK YOU! This is EXACTLY what I was looking for, the tongue placement explanation and drawings was what I needed 😊

[@xxbreebee97xx86]

Oh my gosh thank you! I was told the tongue placement was the ridge at the base of the roof of your mouth and it just didnt sound right for me

[@simon5665]

Dude this is awesome! Simple concise yet indepth. You should consider teaching lingusitics/korean at a University level! Cheers Billy!

[@naritruwireve1381]

Every time I get confused with pronouncing the letter 리을, I think back to my dad trying to say strawberry with a Chinese accent and try to say it the same way hehe. "스터베리"

[@McFlurriez]

I've reviewed this topic a lot, and this was the best I've ever seen it explained succinctly. Well done!

[@creinicke1000]

Love the pictures on the wall.. not sure how you do it.. but helped to understand.

[@moonsmaze]

omg it's like you connected all the dots in my head and i finally got it right 😅 thank you SO much!!

[@Cookie_Dream]

이런 영상들을 보면 21년동안 한국어를 써오면서도 몰랐던 부분들을 알게 되서 좋아요 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 영상 잘 보고 있습니다!! 꼭 국어 문법수업 듣는 느낌이예요

[@k-poptrashbtsislifeu9686]

So: The "L" sound is like in English, but the "R" sound is like the one from "i goTTA". I have already these sounds in my mother tongue. I hope i was helpful.

[@winniemaereact1391]

This is a genius tip!

[@doviende]

They sound different because the ㄹ at the end of the syllable is an alveolar lateral approximant, and at the start of the syllable is an alveolar flap. One is your tongue staying there while air goes around (like we do with english Ls), and the other is a flap with the tongue, like we do with the type of "d"-like sound in english "water" (depending on accent).

[@rebekaha2234]

you cleared up so much in just in 5 minutes, im shooketh !! thank you! i just wished i watched this sooner lol

[@lilyxsh_]

Great u understood but not mee😭

[@Kfri4486]

Great explanation.! It’d be great to have some more videos like this about other difficult letters

[@kristinadreher9848]

Thank you for the video Billy! I think part of the struggle is also focusing too much on the sound. I know I commented on a previous video that I had a hard time with the 을/를 sound, but if I speak quicker the sound comes out more naturally. It's good to practice!

[@user-hi6bd6es5i]

Cool new format of videos Billy!!!

[@rina.2023]

Thank you so much for your explanation! It will take me a while to master ㄹ but this video was extremely helpful!

[@evdokitsa]

AMAZING!!! Thank you so much!

[@emileebravo]

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! You literally made it simple enough for my brain to understand!!! New subscriber!!

[@mrstotoro8396]

Finally, I can understand it better. Thank you so much

[@plutoskn7316]

Thanks billy! Even though i can speak korean i struggle alot with this letter!

[@inasaira8380]

think of it like the ‘dd’ in ladder or “tt” in “latter”. if you are an american english speaker or use an american accent, its like the “t” in “water”. If youre a spanish speaker, its exactly like a spanish R. Such as in the word “Cara” (face).

[@KoreaWithKids]

Cool board! I taught my daughter a little bit before we went on our trip, and she has a lot of trouble with this one. Another girl that I've been helping out with speaking practice is doing pretty well, but she has a hard time saying 를. I know it's not easy!

[@nori_tutor]

Thanks, Billy! I'm already able to pronounce it at the beginning of a sylable, but I admit it's still tricky at the end. But I'm not freaking out at all, I remember how I freaked out to learn the TH sound in English, and I mastered it with some months. So this time I'll just relax and practice, with calm and patience :)

[@therino9695]

At the end, just make it more like an L sound. Like the word "Mall" will have the same ending consonant as 말

[@awilywolf]

@@therino9695 Not necessarily, depending on accent. Australians may pronounce "mall" as "maw-u", no tongue behind the teeth for the final L consonant. But, if I do an American accent, agreed, I find myself enunciating the final L with the tongue at the roof of the mouth a cm or two behind my front teeth.

[@NejiHyugaxownz]

Thank you!!!! I've been struggling so much with ㄹ in particular! It's been driving me crazy!!

[@AiraKoriTenchi]

This was so incredibly helpful, I feel like my eyes (or ears) have been opened for the first time

[@aderayevans]

i love how you explained

[@Kkhhaddijjaaa]

This really works it's an amazing way to explain. 👍👍

[@lizcrowe1234]

omg.....i finally got it after you mentions the “D” placement. Thank you

[@EdenRiot2]

Exactly the video I needed. I still can't pronounce it properly, but I know where to start now. Thank you!

[@hareeshreddy3690]

Thnx for the great explanation.

[@chloe8387]

yes !!! it's so much similar to a 'd' sound rather than an r or l. it would help people's pronunciation (a little bit) if romanisation changed it to 'd', even though it isn't.

[@chloe8387]

(only romanisation of words with a ㄹ in the middle, not ones starting or ending with a ㄹ)

[@Pramhedax]

OMG, Thank you so much. I was so confused

[@bastiand2676]

Still confused but much more clear now. Thank you!

[@_muse__]

I just started learning Korean and this was so very helpful to me, thank you so much!

[@mvheart]

This was ridiculously helpful. Thank you!!!!!!

[@madisonnelson9535]

This is the best explanation I've seen! Thank you!

[@neverforsakenbyhim1]

That was SO HELPFUL! 감사합니다!

[@susansouthgate2774]

Woah.... that makes sense..thanks Billy

[@smadnoodle8054]

This is so helpful thank you soooo much I have been struggling with that sound for the longest time

[@kaitlyntrussell2489]

This high key has changed my life omg lmao I was explained the tongue position before but something got confused and I thought it was wayyyy further back,,, explaining it as a soft English d?? Idk why that’s not how it’s always explained

[@frankbailey5383]

Dang, Billy. That was an awesome explanation. That is beyond helpful!

[@tlo4785]

Thanks for this video, it help a lot.

[@Riurelia]

From what I've noticed, R sounds seem to be the hardest sounds from a lot of languages. I still can't even roll my R even though I've been learning Spanish since 2017.

[@MianNaveedAhmadMNA]

OMG, well explained, so well. Thank you so much.

[@karlaperez2026]

Very helpful video, thank you Billy. Can you do a video explaining how to pronounce “위”, “왜” and all of those words starting with the “w” sound? It sounds different “위” and “we” but i can’t tell what it is

[@Sofi00]

위 actually sounds more like wi than we!

[@atiqanazidasulaiman8793]

Really good explaination !! Even i can pronounce it very well still confused sometime .

[@krissym4011]

That's kinda how I roll the 'r' when I'm speaking Spanish or Serbian. Thanks for the information, I will practice it!

[@dontworryimnotafraid7585]

!! Same! I took Spanish for around 12 years, and i have to try so freaking hard not to roll my "r"s (that aren't 'r's obviously, and should not be rolled lmao) whenever i speak Korean. I've been learning for quite a while now but i still have to catch myself sometimes with certain words- so it was interesting to me that you pointed that out.

[@krissym4011]

Don't Worry I'm Not Afraid I'm guilty of rolling an 'r' when I'm trying to pronounce ㄹ, too. I need to remind myself of not doing it, not even out of laziness. I hope I learn it as fast as when I was learning how to roll the r. Btw #Army

[@TheHekateris]

I struggle not to roll the R in Korean, and I don't speak Spanish or Serbian! Familiarity, eh?

[@krissym4011]

Oro The Nymph There are many languages that roll the r. And there are some people that are just able to roll it and don't need to train it.

[@sofijasulic314]

Nice example with languages.... I'd never think about serbian even though i speak it. But yeah....maybe it's similar.

[@kkkkkbbbbb97]

That was SUCH an EXECELLENT explanation. Well done 👏👏

[@wesleybuccini9717]

That is pretty easy, thank you.

[@JaniceBonczek]

This was so amazingly helpful! Thank you

[@Serenuwu]

Could you do a video on helping with recognising double, strong and regular consonants? Also on fluency because ive just learnt the sound changes but it then takes me ages to read something in korean because I have to identify them first. Can that just be improved by pratice though? Thank u!

[@malfaria5345]

Olivia Davies ohhh yes please !!! Agree with Olivia😊

[@susansouthgate2774]

Check on you tube on his 90 minute lessons..he covers everything

[@esthertadesse132]

That was really helpeful!! Thanks! 👍👍

[@austinjrb]

BEYOND HELPFUL!!! Thank you!!!

[@bribbri3697]

Cool video format and very helpful :)

[@James-ug3vb]

Finally! Super helpful I've had this on my mind recently. Thanks :)

[@PhxSml]

I've been struggling so much with that. That really helps, thank you! 🙈