The difference between sound and spelling is that sound refers to how a word is actually pronounced, while spelling is simply its written form. This distinction matters for me as a Korean learner because if I rely only on the written word, I may mispronounce it or confuse it with a similar-looking form. For example, the Korean writing system (Hangul) is very systematic, but sounds often change in real speech, and I need to hear them to understand them fully.
Korean has a phonetic inventory that is both familiar and challenging for an English speaker like myself. There are ten basic vowels and a set of consonants that come in plain, aspirated, and tense forms. The tense consonants (ㄲ /k/, ㄸ /t/, ㅃ /p/, ㅆ /s/, ㅉ /t͈ɕ/) which do not exist in the English language. For example, 빠르다 [paɾɯda] means “to be fast,” and 쓰다 [sɯda] means “to write.” The vowel ㅡ /ɯ/ also has no English equivalent which makes it difficult to pronounce and understand. Like I mentioned before in pervious posts, the English language is a Indo-European language which its sub category falls into the Germanic family of languages. However, Korean is not an Indo-European language which makes it difficult to grasp some sound and spelling concepts.
To master these sounds, I will practice listening to minimal pairs, record myself repeating native pronunciation (To the best of my ability without butchering the language), and seek feedback from my language partner. Over time, I hope to train my ear and mouth to notice and reproduce these differences naturally and with fluidity.
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Hi Kevin, I like your explaination of why understanding pronunciation beyond spelling is crucial for Korean learners. I also like how you connect linguistic theory with your own learning strategies. Your examples of tense consonants and the vowel very effectively show real challenges English speakers face, and your practice plan sounds well thought out and practical.