Giyeok (ㄱ) – Korean Consonant 기역
ㄱ (Giyeok, 기역) is g at the start of a syllable and a short k at the end. See 고양이 and 가방 as example words, trace ㄱ in 1 stroke, print the ㄱ worksheet for free.
What is Giyeok (ㄱ) in Korean?
Giyeok (ㄱ) is called 기역 in Korean and is g at the start of a syllable and a short k at the end. ㄱ is one of the 14 basic consonants, takes 1 stroke to write and is made with the back of the tongue. You can hear it in 고양이 (cat) and 가방 (bag), and see it closing a syllable in 책 (book).
Giyeok ㄱ: sound, strokes, series and finals
ㄱ GiyeokKorean consonant · basic
Giyeok is g at the start of a syllable and k at the end.
Giyeok (ㄱ) at a glance
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | 기역 (giyeok) |
| Sound at the start | g — a light breath |
| Sound at the end | k (unreleased) |
| Strokes | 1 |
| Group | basic consonant |
| Made with | the back of the tongue |
| Example words | at the start: 고양이 (cat), 가위 (scissors); at the end: 떡 (rice cake), 애호박 (zucchini) |
Three ways to remember ㄱ
Shape
Words that start with 
Words with ㄱ at the end
rice cake
zucchini- book
- mugwort
More words with ㄱ
Sound: k.
How to say ㄱ
기역Press the back of your tongue against the soft palate, then let go with only a little breath. For ㄱ (giyeok), at the start of a word ㄱ sounds between English g and k; between two vowels, as in 아기 (baby), it is a soft g.
As a first sound ㄱ is romanized g, as in 가 (ga). As a 받침 (final consonant) the tongue closes at the same spot and stays shut, so 책 (book) ends in a short, unreleased k and is romanized chaek.
How ㄱ ends a syllable
Look at 책 (book): when ㄱ closes the syllable, the back of the tongue touches the roof of the mouth and stays shut, so you hear a short k with no release. If a vowel follows, as in 책이, the sound moves forward and the word is read [채기].
ㄱ (giyeok) is one of the few consonants whose written final and heard final are the same letter, which makes it easy to check against the spelling.
How to write ㄱ
Trace Giyeok ㄱ with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
Start at the top left, draw a horizontal line to the right, then turn sharply and go straight down.
ㄱ and its look-alikes
ㄱ, ㅋ and ㄲ are made at the same place in the mouth. ㄱ has a little breath, ㅋ has a strong puff of air, and ㄲ is tight with no puff. Hold a tissue in front of your lips: it should flutter for 카, barely move for 가 and stay still for 까.
Many learners say 가 with the breathy k of English 'kite', and Koreans then hear 카. Keep the breath light for ㄱ and let the vowel start softly.
Why ㄱ looks the way it does
ㄱ (giyeok) stands for a sound made with the back of the tongue, because Hangul's consonant shapes follow the mouth.
Words that use ㄱ
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 고기 | go-gi | meat (noun) |
| 공원 | gong-won | park (noun) |
| 구두 | gu-du | shoes (noun) |
| 기차 | gi-cha | train (noun) |
| 약 | yak | medicine (noun) |
| 짝 | jjak | partner (noun) |
| 쪽지 | [쪽찌] jjok-jji | note (noun) |
| 탁자 | [탁짜] tak-jja | table (noun) |
In 고양이 (cat), ㄱ (giyeok) is the first sound of the first block 고, which is read go.
In 가방 (bag), ㄱ (giyeok) is the first sound of the first block 가, which is read ga.
In 구두 (shoes), ㄱ (giyeok) is the first sound of the first block 구, which is read gu.
In 기차 (train), ㄱ (giyeok) is the first sound of the first block 기, which is read gi.
The first block of 공원 (park) is 공, and it opens with ㄱ: read gong.
Syllables you can build with ㄱ
Blocks that open with ㄱ include 가 (ga), 갸 (gya), 거 (geo), and 겨 (gyeo).
The ten blocks 가 (ga), 갸 (gya), 거 (geo), 겨 (gyeo), 고 (go), 교 (gyo), 구 (gu), 규 (gyu), 그 (geu), 기 (gi) are worth reading in one breath.
Try it yourself
Pick a vowel and a final for ㄱ and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㄱ ready
ㄱ writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean letter tracing worksheet: ㄱ (giyeok)
The one-page Giyeok ㄱ sheet shows ㄱ in 1 stroke, traces it, writes it with six vowels (가 거 고 구 그 기) and ends with a game of finding ㄱ among look-alikes.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 107 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get all 19 consonants in one pack
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say ㄱ out loud, trace its 1 stroke, then write it with six vowels.
Practice ㄱ
Try it yourself
Put Giyeok ㄱ, g, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㄱ ready
ㄱ (Giyeok) — FAQ
How would you describe the ㄱ pronunciation?
Read it as g at the start of a syllable and a short k at the end; 고양이 (cat) is a good word to practice with.
ㄱ vs ㅋ: how are they different?
ㄱ is read with a light breath, while ㅋ is read with a strong puff of air. Say 가 (ga) and 카 (ka) in a row to hear it; ㄱ takes 1 stroke and ㅋ takes 2 strokes.
What is ㄱ called in Korean and what sound does it make?
Its name is 기역 (giyeok), and the sound is g at the start of a syllable and a short k at the end; try 고양이 and 책.
Is ㄱ g or k?
ㄱ (giyeok) is written g at the start of a syllable (가 = ga) and k at the end (책 = chaek). The sound itself sits between English g and k.
How many strokes is ㄱ?
ㄱ has 1 stroke: a line to the right that turns down in one motion without lifting the pen.
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