🌟 Day 7: Tensing (Fortis) – Strengthening Sounds in Korean

Hello, everyone! 😊
Yesterday, we learned about liaison (연음, yeoneum)!
Today, we’ll explore another important pronunciation change: Tensing (Fortis pronunciation)!

This rule makes certain sounds stronger and clearer in Korean.
If you master this, your Korean pronunciation will sound much more natural! 🎶

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🔠 What is Tensing (Fortis pronunciation)?

Tensing (also called “fortis”) happens when soft sounds (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅈ) turn into tense sounds (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) when combined with certain syllables.

Here are some examples:

✅ 국밥 → [국빱] (guk-ppap)
✅ 책상 → [책쌍] (chaek-ssang)
✅ 먹자 → [먹짜] (meok-jja)
✅ 학교 → [학꾜] (hak-kkyo)

See? The sounds become stronger automatically! 💪

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🔹 When Does Tensing Happen?

✅ 1. When Final Consonants (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ) Meet ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅈ

If a word ends in ㄱ, ㄷ, or ㅂ and is followed by a syllable starting with ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, or ㅈ, tensing happens!

Original Pronunciation Tensed Pronunciation Meaning
학교 (hak-gyo) 학꾜 (hak-kkyo) School 🏫
국밥 (guk-bap) 국빱 (guk-ppap) Korean rice soup 🍲
책상 (chaek-sang) 책쌍 (chaek-ssang) Desk 🪑
먹자 (meok-ja) 먹짜 (meok-jja) Let’s eat! 🍽



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✅ 2. Words That Are Naturally Tensed

Some words always use tensed pronunciation, even if no special rule applies.

For example:
• 바빠요 → [바빠요] (bappayo) – Busy
• 짜다 → [짜다] (jjada) – Salty
• 아저씨 → [아저씨] (ajeossi) – Mister

These words must be memorized! 📖

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🏆 Practice Tensing Pronunciation!

Try reading these words with the tensed sounds:
1. 학교 → 학꾜
2. 국밥 → 국빱
3. 책상 → 책쌍
4. 먹자 → 먹짜
5. 같이 → 가치 (※ Exception: This is a case of liaison, not tensing)

Tensing will start feeling natural as you practice!
Say these words out loud and get used to the stronger sounds. 📢✨

Tomorrow, we’ll learn about Sonorization (the softening of sounds in Korean)! 🚀💙