Korean · Difficult words
How to pronounce 선생님 in Korean
선생님
Romanization: seonsaengnim
Teacher
Standard South Korean; reference: SK-Standard, Seoul · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
선생님 is pronounced [sʰʌ̹nsʰɛŋnim] in Korean. In 선생님: Let a clear puff of air follow the consonant marked /ʰ/. Keep the next vowel connected to it. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in 선생님
The reference transcription for 선생님 is [sʰʌ̹nsʰɛŋnim]. 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.Aspirated consonants
In 선생님: Let a clear puff of air follow the consonant marked /ʰ/. Keep the next vowel connected to it.
Watch out: Do not confuse the breathy release with the tight, low-airflow tense consonants.
2.The eo vowel /ʌ/
In 선생님: Use a single open back-to-central vowel. The spelling “eo” in romanization represents one vowel.
Watch out: Do not read eo as an e followed by o.
3.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In 선생님: 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
저분은 선생님이에요.
jeobuneun seonsaengnimieyo.
That person is a teacher.
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
선생님 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 선생님
How do you pronounce 선생님?
선생님 is pronounced [sʰʌ̹nsʰɛŋnim] in Korean. In 선생님: Let a clear puff of air follow the consonant marked /ʰ/. Keep the next vowel connected to it. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In 선생님: Let a clear puff of air follow the consonant marked /ʰ/. Keep the next vowel connected to it. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
