Linking / Liaison (연음 법칙)

The linking rule (yeoneum) means that when a final consonant (batchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant sound carries over and becomes the first sound of the next syllable.

Basic Principle

A batchim is normally pronounced in its own position, but when a vowel (a syllable written with ㅇ) follows, the batchim slides over into that vowel's position.

한국어

han-gu-geo

Korean (the language) — the ㄱ of 국 links into 어, so it sounds like 한구거.

음악

eu-mak

music — the ㅁ links into 악, so it sounds like 으막.

옷이

o-si

the clothes (subject) — the ㅅ links into 이, so it sounds like 오시.

Linking of a Double Batchim

With a double batchim, the first consonant stays put as the batchim and only the second consonant moves over to the following vowel.

읽어요

il-geo-yo

(I) read (polite) — from 읽다, the ㄱ links into 어, so it sounds like 일거요.

Linking Before Particles and Endings

When a particle (은/이/을) or an ending (아요/어요) that begins with a vowel attaches to a word with a batchim, the batchim links into that vowel.

꽃을

kko-cheul

the flower (object) — the ㅊ links into 을, so it sounds like 꼬츨.

밥이

ba-bi

the rice (subject) — the ㅂ links into 이, so it sounds like 바비.

집에

ji-be

to/at home — the ㅂ links into 에, so it sounds like 지베.

낮에

na-je

in the daytime — the ㅈ links into 에, so it sounds like 나제.

앉아요

an-ja-yo

(I) sit (polite) — with the double batchim 앉, only the ㅈ links into 아, so it sounds like 안자요.

값이

gap-si

the price (subject) — with the double batchim 값, only the ㅅ links into 이, so it sounds like 갑시.

Batchim ㄷ/ㅌ Meeting 이

When the batchim ㄷ or ㅌ is followed by the vowel 이, the result is not plain linking but palatalization, sounding like [지] or [치].

굳이

gu-ji

deliberately — ㄷ + 이 becomes [지], so it sounds like 구지, not 구디.

같이

ga-chi

together — ㅌ + 이 becomes [치], so it sounds like 가치, not 가티.

Spelling	Pronunciation	Romanization
한국어	[한구거]	han-gu-geo
음악	[으막]	eu-mak
옷이	[오시]	o-si
읽어요	[일거요]	il-geo-yo
값이	[갑시]	gap-si
같이	[가치]	ga-chi

💡 Tip: The batchim ㅇ never links over. For example, 강아지 (puppy) stays as [강아지].

Linking is the most fundamental pronunciation rule and the starting point for natural-sounding Korean.

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