Most Common Korean Words Pronounced Wrong Part. 2

This is Part. 2  of the series Most Common Korean Words Pronounced Wrong. Read Part. 1 (words 1-1000) and Part. 3 (words 1501-2000).

Pronouncing Korean can be difficult given the many exceptions to basic pronunciation rules. In many cases, words seemingly simple have a different pronunciation from their 한글 spelling. Below are listed the most common words that have a different pronunciation from their spelling. These common words were selected among words 1001-1500 from the book A Frequency Dictionary of Korean. This list will be updated with relevant pronunciation guides on KoniKorean when available.

Notes about the table:

  • Rank corresponds to the rank in A Frequency Dictionary of Koreanfrom most common in the Korean language to least common.
  • Pronunciation was extracted from the Naver Dictionary of Korean.
  • Words with especially tricky pronunciation are in yellow rows.
  • Meaning is presented for quick reference; many words have different meanings depending on context.
  • The colon : indicates that the preceding syllable is a long one.
Rank Word Pronunciation Meaning Notes
← Cf. Part 1 for words 1-1000
1005 외국 웨:국/외:국 foreign country  
1006 효과 효:과/효:꽈 effect* While two pronunciations are technically correct,
효:꽈 is much more common.
1053 며칠 며칠* a few days Different from 몇일 which is pronounced [멷일]
1086 조건 조껀 a condition ⚠️ Common mistake when first encountering this word.
Koreans will not understand the pronunciation [조건].
1112 관리 괄리 management  
1120 너희 너히 you (plural)  
1130 늙다 늑따 to get old Conjugation: 늙어요 [늘거요]
1141 언론 얼론 the press/media  
1177 평가 평:까 evaluation ⚠️ Very common mistake.
Koreans will not understand the pronunciation [평가].
1201 light  
1201-bis 빛이 비치 light (w/ subject particle)  
1221 밝다 박따 to be bright Conjugation: 밝아요 [발가요]
1232 넓다 널따 to be broad Conjugation: 넓어요 [널버요]
1235 계속하다 계:소카다/게:소카다 to continue  
1263 오늘날 오늘랄 today  
1282 실제로 실쩨로 really (in reality)  
1290 결정 결쩡 decision ⚠️ Very common mistake.
1296 백만 뱅만 million  
1307 짧다 짤따 to be short  
1333 각각 각깍 each  
1338 혁명 형명 revolution  
1356 출신 출씬 to be from (a place)  
1372 심다 심:따 to plant  
1374 희다 히다 to be white  
1388 신랑 실랑 the bridegroom  
1399 실제 실쩨 reality, truth Cf. #1282
1403 작년 장년 last year  
1417 비롯하다 비로타다 to originate  
1418 협상 협쌍 hypothesis  
1442 측면 층면 side, aspect  
1497 발생하다 발쌩하다 to occur  
→ cf. Part. 3 for words 1501-2000

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