Mother Consonants:

• We've mastered the 'mother' consonants, which form the backbone of the Korean consonant system.

Children Consonants:

• Each 'mother' consonant branches out into 'children' consonants.
• These variations include aspirated and tensed sounds.

Aspirated Sounds:

• Understanding Aspirated Sounds:
  • Aspirated sounds involve a noticeable release of air.
• Examples in English:
  • • "pin" (puff of air with 'p')
    • "tin" (puff of air with 't')
    • "kin" (puff of air with 'k')
    • Korean equivalents: ㅋ,ㅌ,ㅍ, and ㅊ.
• Activity:
  • Use a piece of tissue or your hand to feel the puff of air when you pronounce aspirated sounds like "pin," "tin," and "kin" compared to "bin," "din," and "gin."

Tensed Sounds:

• Understanding Tensed Sounds:
  • Tensed sounds are less common in English but can be compared to the 'tt' sound in "stop," where the 't' is held tightly and released abruptly.
  • In Korean, tensed sounds involve more muscular tension in your mouth, resulting in a sharper, crisper sound without the burst of air typical of aspirated sounds.
• Challenge:
  • It can be tricky to distinguish between aspirated and tensed sounds because tensed sounds do not exist in English.
  • With more exposure, your ears will start to notice the difference.