Korean · Difficult words
How to pronounce 부모님 in Korean
부모님
Romanization: bumonim
Parents
Standard South Korean; reference: SK-Standard, Seoul · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
부모님 is pronounced [pumo̞nim] in Korean. In 부모님: Round the lips and keep the tongue toward the back for a steady /o/. Follow the length indicated in the transcription. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in 부모님
The reference transcription for 부모님 is [pumo̞nim]. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. Korean pronunciation changes when sounds meet. Follow the spoken transcription and connected example rather than reading each Hangul letter in isolation.
1.A steady /o/ vowel
In 부모님: Round the lips and keep the tongue toward the back for a steady /o/. Follow the length indicated in the transcription.
Watch out: Avoid automatically turning a single /o/ into the moving vowel of English “go”.
2.Front-vowel position
In 부모님: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front.
Watch out: Do not decide vowel quality from English spelling alone.
3.Back rounded vowels
In 부모님: Round your lips and keep the tongue toward the back. Follow the closer /u/ or more relaxed /ʊ/ quality written in the IPA.
Watch out: Avoid inserting a y sound before the vowel unless the IPA includes /j/.
Hear it in context
제 부모님이 집에 계세요.
je bumonimi jibe gyeseyo.
My parents are at home.
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
부모님 is presented in standard South Korean pronunciation. Everyday speech can vary in vowel quality and consonant realization. Treat the romanization as a reading aid and follow the Hangul, IPA, and recording together.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about 부모님
How do you pronounce 부모님?
부모님 is pronounced [pumo̞nim] in Korean. In 부모님: Round the lips and keep the tongue toward the back for a steady /o/. Follow the length indicated in the transcription. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In 부모님: Round the lips and keep the tongue toward the back for a steady /o/. Follow the length indicated in the transcription. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
