The batchim rules have a distribution problem: they’re the most important system in Korean pronunciation, and they’re always explained across twenty scrolling screens. When you’re mid-sentence in a webtoon wondering why 숙제 sounds like [숙쩨], you don’t need a chapter — you need one page.
So we made the page. As far as we can tell, it’s the only dedicated batchim cheat sheet PDF on the internet.
📥 Download the Free PDF
Download the Batchim Cheat Sheet PDF →
One page, US Letter, printer-friendly. On it:
- Step 1: the 7 final sounds — how all 27 possible batchim letters collapse into [k] [n] [t] [l] [m] [p] [ng]
- Step 2: all 6 sound-change rules — trigger condition, transformation, and two example words each
- Step 3: combination practice words (입학년도 → [이팡년도]) to test yourself
No email required. It’s designed to live next to wherever you read Korean.
What’s On It (The 10-Second Version)
The 7 final sounds:
| Batchim letters | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ ㅋ ㄲ | [k] | 밖 |
| ㄴ | [n] | 눈 |
| ㄷ ㅌ ㅅ ㅆ ㅈ ㅊ ㅎ | [t] | 꽃 |
| ㄹ | [l] | 말 |
| ㅁ | [m] | 밤 |
| ㅂ ㅍ | [p] | 밥 |
| ㅇ | [ng] | 강 |
The 6 rules, one line each:
- Liaison — batchim + vowel: the consonant slides over (음악 → [으막])
- Nasalization — stop + nasal: ㄱ→ㅇ, ㄷ→ㄴ, ㅂ→ㅁ (입니다 → [임니다])
- Tensification — stop + ㄱㄷㅂㅅㅈ: doubles up (학교 → [학꾜])
- Aspiration — ㅎ + ㄱㄷㅂㅈ: merges to ㅋㅌㅍㅊ (축하 → [추카])
- Palatalization — ㄷ/ㅌ + 이: becomes ㅈ/ㅊ (같이 → [가치])
- Liquid assimilation — ㄴ + ㄹ: both become ㄹ (연락 → [열락])
How to Use the Sheet
- While reading: hit a word that sounds wrong in your head → find the boundary consonants → match the trigger on the sheet. Five seconds.
- Daily warm-up: read the Step 3 combination words aloud before your study session — they stack multiple rules and expose exactly which one isn’t automatic yet.
- With the guides: each rule links to a full explanation — the master guide is batchim rules in Korean, with deep dives on all six pronunciation rules and nasalization specifically.
The Companion Chart
If you’re earlier in the journey — still building syllable recognition before worrying about sound changes — start with the free Hangul chart PDF: all 140 basic syllables with romanization, same one-page philosophy.
And when you’re ready to make the rules automatic rather than referenced — that’s drilling, not reading. The Batchim app trains all six rules adaptively with instant feedback, 15 minutes a day, until 학교 simply is [학꾜] in your head. Measure the payoff with our Korean reading speed test.