Free Tool
Korean Romanization Converter
Convert Hangul to Latin letters using the Revised Romanization standard.
Example Conversions
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About Korean Romanization
Romanization converts Korean Hangul characters into Latin letters, making Korean text readable for those who haven't learned the Korean alphabet. This tool uses the Revised Romanization of Korean, the official system used by the South Korean government since 2000.
Revised Romanization Rules
The Revised Romanization system follows specific rules to represent Korean sounds accurately:
- Vowels: ㅏ=a, ㅓ=eo, ㅗ=o, ㅜ=u, ㅡ=eu, ㅣ=i, ㅐ=ae, ㅔ=e
- Consonants: ㄱ=g/k, ㄴ=n, ㄷ=d/t, ㄹ=r/l, ㅁ=m, ㅂ=b/p, ㅅ=s, ㅇ=ng
- Double consonants: ㄲ=kk, ㄸ=tt, ㅃ=pp, ㅆ=ss, ㅉ=jj
Sound Change Rules
Korean pronunciation changes when certain consonants meet. This converter applies these rules automatically:
- Liaison (연음): Final consonants link to the following syllable's vowel (e.g., 음악 → eumak)
- Nasalization (비음화): Certain consonants become nasal before ㄴ or ㅁ (e.g., 십만 → simman)
- ㅎ weakening: ㅎ often becomes silent between vowels (e.g., 좋아요 → joayo)
Revised Romanization versus McCune-Reischauer
Korean has had two major romanization systems. Revised Romanization (RR), which this tool uses, has been South Korea's official standard since 2000 and appears on modern road signs, in passports, and in most textbooks. The older McCune-Reischauer system, devised in 1937, used apostrophes and breve marks to separate similar sounds and is still the reason some older maps and academic papers spell 부산 as "Pusan" instead of the modern "Busan", or 김치 as "kimch'i" instead of "gimchi".
Why the same Hangeul can romanize differently
Revised Romanization spells a letter by how it sounds in context, not with one fixed Roman letter. ㄱ is written "g" between vowels but "k" when it ends a word on its own, which is why 한국 by itself romanizes as "hanguk" while 한국어 becomes "hangugeo", the final ㄱ of 한국 links to the following vowel and is pronounced, and spelled, as "g" instead.
The pronunciation changes romanization hides
Romanization can only show so much. Korean consonants shift through assimilation, for example nasalization turns a ㅂ before ㅁ into an "m" sound (십만 → simman), and this converter applies those rules automatically. It also can't always show final consonant neutralization, where several different batchim letters (ㄷ, ㅌ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅎ) all collapse into the same "t" sound at the end of a syllable, so 낮 (day) is pronounced, and romanizes, as "nat" even though it's spelled with ㅈ.
Why Learn Hangeul Instead?
While romanization is helpful for beginners, learning to read Hangeul directly is more accurate and efficient. Hangeul was designed to be simple, and most people can learn the letters in just a few hours with Lingrow's guide to the Korean alphabet. Once you can read Hangeul, the Lingrow Korean course builds on it with guided lessons and AI voice roleplay, so you hear the sound changes above instead of just reading about them. For the full list of consonant and vowel contrasts that trip up English speakers, see Korean pronunciation for English speakers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What romanisation system does this tool use?
Revised Romanization of Korean (RR), the system South Korea's government adopted in 2000 and now uses on road signs, in passports, and in most textbooks. It's different from the older McCune-Reischauer system, which used apostrophes and breves and is still seen in older maps and some academic writing.
Why does the same Korean letter romanise two different ways?
Revised Romanization spells a letter by how it actually sounds in context, not by a single fixed letter. ㄱ romanises as "g" between vowels but "k" at the end of a word with nothing following it, so 한국 alone is "hanguk" while 한국어 becomes "hangugeo" because the final ㄱ links to the next syllable's vowel.
Does romanisation show me how to actually pronounce a word?
Only approximately. Korean has assimilation rules, like nasalization, that change how a consonant sounds next to certain neighbours, and this tool applies the common ones automatically. But romanisation still can't show every detail, such as vowel length or intonation, that a native listener relies on.
Should I use romanisation or learn Hangeul?
Romanisation is a useful shortcut for reading a menu or a street sign in a hurry. But several distinct Hangeul sounds get flattened into the same Roman letters, so relying on it long term will hold your pronunciation back. Hangeul itself is a small, logical alphabet that most learners pick up within a few hours.