Linking Sounds (연음화)
When a syllable ending in a consonant (받침) is followed by ㅇ, the final consonant moves to the next syllable.
Liaison (연음화) is the most common sound change in Korean and the reason intermediate learners often feel they 'can read but can't understand spoken Korean'. The rule is simple: when a syllable ending in a consonant 받침 is followed by a syllable starting with the silent ㅇ, the final consonant slides over and becomes the next syllable's initial consonant in pronunciation. Spelling does not change, only pronunciation.
Classic example: 한국어 (Korean language) is spelled han + guk + eo but pronounced han + gu + geo. The ㄱ of 국 slides over to the front of 어, making the second syllable sound like 'gu' and the third like 'geo'. Once you internalise this rule, vast amounts of natural Korean speech that previously felt 'fast' or 'slurred' resolve into something you can clearly parse. Practice with the example words in this lesson — read each word slowly first, then at natural speed, listening for the consonant shift.
연음화 — The Basic Rule
When a syllable ends in a consonant (받침) and the next syllable starts with ㅇ (silent), the 받침 moves to become the initial consonant of the next syllable. Written: 먹어요 [meok-eo-yo] → Spoken: [meo-geo-yo].
Double 받침 (겹받침) and 연음화
Some syllables have two final consonants (겹받침). When followed by ㅇ, usually the second consonant moves to the next syllable. 읽어요: 읽(ㄹㄱ) + 어요 → [일거요]. 앉아요: 앉(ㄴㅈ) + 아요 → [안자요].