Learn to pronounce the stop consonants: ㅂ vs ㅍ vs ㅃ
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| This is theㅂ (b) sound, this is the ㅍ (p) sound, and this is the ㅃ (pp) sound. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to tell them apart, PLUS you'll be practicing them and on your way to perfect pronunciation! |
| I'm Joyce, and this is Korean Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| First is ㅂ (b). This is the ㅂ (b) sound in 밥 (bap) "rice," 바다 (ba-da) "ocean," and other words. |
| ㅍ (p) is the ㅍ (p) sound in 표 (pyo) "ticket," |
| 편지 (pyeon-ji) "letter," and other words. |
| ㅃ (pp) is the ㅃ (pp) sound in 빵 (ppang) "bread," |
| 빠르다 (ppa-reu-da) "to be fast," and other words. |
| These three consonants are called bilabial stops. |
| To make the ㅂ (b) sound: lightly press your lips together, then release them as you produce the sound. There should be a soft, unaspirated sound, similar to the b in "boy" or "bat." |
| ㅂ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅂ(enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅂ |
| To make the ㅍ (p) sound: press your lips together slightly more firmly than with ㅂ, and when you release the lips, allow a strong burst of air to accompany the sound. It should sound like the p in "pot" or "pie," with noticeable aspiration (a puff of air). |
| ㅍ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅍ(enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅍ |
| To make the ㅃ (pp) sound: press your lips together tightly and use more muscular tension in your vocal cords. Release the sound without letting out a burst of air. The sound should be very crisp and strong, without the puff of air that you hear in ㅍ. |
| ㅃ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅃ(enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅃ |
| The difference between these sounds lies in their aspiration and tension. |
| ㅂ is unaspirated. It's pronounced with a soft b sound. |
| ㅍ is aspirated. It's pronounced with a strong burst of air. |
| ㅃ is tensed. It's pronounced like a very abrupt b. |
| Listen carefully and repeat after me. |
| ㅂ ㅍ ㅃ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅂ ㅍ ㅃ |
| (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅂ ㅍ ㅃ |
| Feel how the sounds change from unaspirated to aspirated to tensed. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| 불 (bul)/풀 (pul)/뿔 (ppul) |
| "fire"/"grass"/"horn" |
| (space for repetition) |
| 불 (bul)/풀 (pul)/뿔 (ppul) |
| "fire"/"grass"/"horn" |
| 배 (bae)/패 (pae)/빼 (ppae) |
| "ship"/"group"/"to extract (imperative)" |
| (space for repetition) |
| 배 (bae)/패 (pae)/빼 (ppae) |
| "ship"/"group"/"to extract (imperative)" |
| 비다 (bi-da)/피다 (pi-da)/삐다 (ppi-da) |
| "to be empty"/"to bloom"/"to sprain" |
| (space for repetition) |
| 비다 (bi-da)/피다 (pi-da)/삐다 (ppi-da) |
| "to be empty"/"to bloom"/"to sprain" |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound that is unaspirated? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ㅂ |
| (1) |
| ㅂ |
| Do you remember the sound pronounced with a strong burst of air? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ㅍ |
| (1) |
| ㅍ |
| And the sound produced without a burst of air? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ㅃ |
| (1) |
| ㅃ |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these three words. |
| 불 (bul)/풀 (pul)/뿔 (ppul) |
| "fire"/"grass"/"horn" |
| (1) |
| 불 (bul)/풀 (pul)/뿔 (ppul) |
| "fire"/"grass"/"horn" |
| (1) |
| Let's try another. |
| 비다 (bi-da)/피다 (pi-da)/삐다 (ppi-da) |
| "to be empty"/"to bloom"/"to sprain" |
| (1) |
| 비다 (bi-da)/피다 (pi-da)/삐다 (ppi-da) |
| "to be empty"/"to bloom"/"to sprain" |
| (1) |
| Now listen to the following sentences. |
| 불이 활활 타고 있어요. |
| (Bur-i hwal-hwal ta-go iss-eo-yo.) |
| "The fire is burning brightly." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 풀을 깎아야 해요. |
| (Pur-eul kkakk-a-ya hae-yo.) |
| "We need to mow the grass." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 뿔이 큰 동물을 봤어요. |
| (Ppur-i keun dong-mur-eul bwass-eo-yo.) |
| "I saw an animal with large horns." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 불, 풀, 뿔 |
| Read the following sentences out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| (pause) |
| 발목을 삐었어요. |
| (Bal-mok-eul ppi-eoss-eo-yo.) |
| "I sprained my ankle." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 방이 비어 있어요. |
| (Bang-i bi-eo iss-eo-yo.) |
| "The room is empty." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 비다, 삐다 |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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