Korean · Food & drink
How to pronounce 맥주 in Korean
맥주
Romanization: maekju
Beer
Standard South Korean; reference: SK-Standard, Seoul · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
맥주 is pronounced [mɛk̚t͡ɕ͈u] in Korean. In 맥주: Make the consonant with firmer articulation and very little escaping air. The doubled vertical mark /͈/ indicates tension. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
Explore the app’s available speaking languages
Find the sounds in 맥주
The reference transcription for 맥주 is [mɛk̚t͡ɕ͈u]. 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.Tense consonants
In 맥주: Make the consonant with firmer articulation and very little escaping air. The doubled vertical mark /͈/ indicates tension.
Watch out: Louder speech alone does not create a tense consonant. Keep it distinct from an aspirated consonant.
2.Unreleased final consonants
In 맥주: Move into the final consonant position, then stop without a strong release. The corner mark /̚/ indicates no audible release.
Watch out: Do not add a vowel or a final English-style puff after the consonant.
3.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In 맥주: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide.
Watch out: Avoid turning this vowel into English “ay”.
Hear it in context
차가운 맥주를 주세요.
chagaun maekjureul juseyo.
Please give me cold beer.
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
맥주 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 맥주
How do you pronounce 맥주?
맥주 is pronounced [mɛk̚t͡ɕ͈u] in Korean. In 맥주: Make the consonant with firmer articulation and very little escaping air. The doubled vertical mark /͈/ indicates tension. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In 맥주: Make the consonant with firmer articulation and very little escaping air. The doubled vertical mark /͈/ indicates tension. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
