Is Hangul hard to learn?
No — Hangul is widely considered one of the easiest writing systems in the world, and that's by design. King Sejong introduced it in 1443 specifically so ordinary people could become literate; a famous saying of the era claimed "a wise man can learn it in a morning." There are only 24 basic letters, and their shapes are not arbitrary: consonants sketch the shape your mouth makes, and vowels are built from three simple strokes. Most learners can sound out simple words after a few hours. Start with the letters lesson.
How long does it take to learn to read Korean?
Reading slowly: a weekend. Most people learn the consonants and vowels in one or two sittings, understand syllable blocks in another, and can sound out real words within a few days. Reading fluently — recognizing whole words at a glance — takes a few weeks of practice, which is exactly what the games are for: five minutes of play a day beats an hour of rereading.
What order should I study in?
Follow the course steps in order: 1. Letters → 2. Syllables → 3. Words → 4. Sentences. Each step has a matching game, so a good rhythm is: read a lesson, play its game until it feels easy, then move on. The typing game works best after step 3, once you can read whole words.
What is 받침 (batchim)?
A batchim is a consonant written at the bottom of a syllable block — it closes the syllable, turning 가 (ga) into 강 (gang). Any consonant can be written in that position, but only seven sounds are actually pronounced at the end of a syllable: -k, -n, -t, -l, -m, -p and -ng. The syllables lesson has a clickable table of all seven with audio examples.
Why does Korean have two number systems?
History: Korean kept its native numbers (하나, 둘, 셋…) and also borrowed Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼…) from Chinese. Today each has its own jobs — native numbers count things, people and ages ("two apples"), while Sino-Korean numbers handle dates, money, phone numbers and minutes. Both sets are on the words page with audio.
Do ㅐ and ㅔ sound different?
In modern Seoul speech — no. ㅐ and ㅔ have merged into the same sound, as have ㅒ and ㅖ. Even native speakers ask "ㅐ or ㅔ?" when writing down an unfamiliar name. You need to remember which spelling each word uses, but you don't need to hear a difference.
Do I need a Korean keyboard for the typing game?
No. Rabbit Hangul Typing works without a Korean IME: press the QWERTY key that corresponds to each Korean letter and the game composes the Hangul for you. The on-screen keyboard shows every key with both its Korean letter and its English position, so you learn the layout as you play. See the full How to Play guide.
What is the two-set (두벌식) keyboard layout?
Dubeolsik is the standard Korean keyboard layout, used on virtually every Korean computer and phone: consonants sit on the left half of the keyboard and vowels on the right. Your left and right hands alternate naturally as you type syllables — consonant, vowel, consonant, vowel — which is part of why Korean typing feels rhythmic once it clicks.
Why is ㄱ sometimes "g" and sometimes "k"?
Korean plain consonants shift slightly with position: at the start of a word ㄱ sounds closer to an unaspirated "k", while between vowels it softens toward "g". The same happens with ㄷ (d/t), ㅂ (b/p) and ㅈ (j/ch). Both romanizations are correct — trust the audio on the letter cards over English spelling.
Is this site really free? Do I need an account?
Yes, everything is free, with no sign-up. All lessons and games run entirely in your browser; nothing is installed. Game records (like your typing best times) are stored only on your own device, in your browser's local storage. See our Privacy Policy for details.
How does the pronunciation audio work?
Pronunciations use your browser's built-in Korean text-to-speech (the Web Speech API), so quality depends on your browser and device. Chrome and Edge with a Korean voice installed generally sound best. If you hear nothing, check that your device has a Korean voice available — on most systems it downloads automatically the first time it's used.
Can I use this site on my phone?
Yes. The lessons and most games are responsive and touch-friendly — tap words to hear them, tap tiles to build sentences. The typing game is best with a physical keyboard, but the on-screen keyboard also responds to taps.
I found a bug or have a suggestion — where do I send it?
We read everything. Send it through the Contact page — bug reports with your browser name and a description of what happened are especially helpful.
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