When searching for books, articles, and other materials in Korean, you should search not only in Hangul, but also in Romanized Korean for best results. All academic libraries in North America use the McCune-Reischauer system to romanize Korean under the rules by the Library of Congress stated in the Korean romanization and Word Division. The Korean Romanization Table in Appendix 7 at the end of document illustrates the general application of the Korean Romanization rules; exceptions are noted in Korean romanization guideline of the Library of Congress.
Library of Congress Romanization Rules & Table
| Letter | Position | Rules for Romanization | Examples |
| ㄱ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Always K 1. G between vowels, or af ter ㄴ, ㄹ, ㅁ and ㅇ 2. NG before ㄴ, ㄹ and ㅁ 3. K before and after all other consonants Always K |
국어 Kugŏ 물건 mulgŏ n 전기 ch ŏn’gi 국민 ku ngmin 합계 hap kye 조국 ch oguk |
| ㄴ |
Initial
Medial
Final |
1. Not romanized before ‘ ㅣ’ and yotize d vowels 2. N before other vowels 1. L when preceded or followed by ㄹ 2. N in all other cases Always N |
녀자 yŏj a 닐곱 ilgop 농민 non gmin 달님 tallim 한류 Hall yu 미나리 mina ri 강산 ka ngsan |
| ㄷ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Always T 1. D between vowels, or after ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅇ 2. T after ㄱ, ㅂ, ㄹ and ㅅ 3. N as syllabic final before ㄴ 4. T as syllabic final before other consonants Always T |
다섯 tas ŏt 무당 muda ng 만두 mandu 합동 hapto ng 율동 yultong 치닫는 ch’ida nnŭn 숟가락 sutka rak 묻다 mutt a 곧 kot |
| ㄹ |
Initial
Medial
Final |
1. Not romanized befo re ‘ㅣ’, or y otized vowels 2. N before other vowels 1. R between vowels, or be fore ㅎ 2. L before all other consonants, or after ㄴ and ㄹ 3. N after other consonants Always L |
력사 yŏ ksa 리론 iron 론술 non sul 마루 maru 발해 Parha e 물리학 mullihak 종로 Ch ongno 오솔길 o solkil |
| ㅁ |
Initial Medial Final |
Always M Always M Always M |
목수 moksu 나무 namu 몸살 mom sal 보석함 po sŏkham |
| ㅂ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Always P 1. B between vowels , or after ㄴ, ㄹ, ㅁ and ㅇ 2. M before ㄴ, ㄹ and ㅁ 3. P before and after all other consonants Always P |
발표 palp’ yo 갈비 kal bi 냄비 naembi 섭리 sŏ mni 잡무 ch ammu 접시 chŏpsi 문법 munp ŏp 헌법 hŏn pŏp |
| ㅅ |
Initial Medial
Final |
1. SH before ‘ ㅟ ’ 2. S before other vowels 1. SH before ‘ ㅟ ’ 2. S before other vowels 3. NN as syllabic final b efore ‘ㅣ’ and yotized vowels in compound words 4. S as syllabic final before ‘ㅣ’ and yoti zed vowels in single words 5. T as syllabi c final before ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅈ and ㅎ 6. D as syllabic final in prefixes after all other vowels Always T |
쉽게 shwipke 상업 sa ngŏp 아쉬운 a shwiun 농산물 no ngsanmul 웃음 usŭm 옛일 ye nnil 숫양 su nnyang 깨끗이 kka kkŭsi 못하다 mothada 엇갈린 ŏtkallin 웃옷 udot 첫아들 c h’ŏdadŭl 삿갓 sat kat |
| ㅇ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Not romanized 1. Not romanized as syllabic initial 2. NG as syllabic final Always NG |
얼굴 ŏlgul 독일 Togil 금융 kŭm yung 농 민 non gmin 사랑 sa rang |
| ㅈ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Always CH 1. J between vowels , or after ㄴ, ㅁ and ㅇ 2. CH after all other consonants 3. N as syllabic final before ㄴ, ㅁ 4. T as syllabic final before other consonants Always T |
진리 chilli 도 장 tojang 민족 minjo k 목장 mo kchang 젖니 ch ŏnni 젖먹이 chŏnmŏgi 짖다 chitta 빚 pit |
| ㅊ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Always CH’ 1. Always CH’ as syllabic initial 2. N as syllabic final before ㄴ,ㅁ 3. T as syllabic final before all other consonants 4. J as syllabic final before vowels Always T |
차별 ch’ abyŏl 김치 kim ch’i 빛낸 pinn aen 찾다 ch’ a tta 쫓기다 ch’otki da 찾아 ch’ aja 장미꽃 chan gmikkot |
| ㅋ |
Initial Medial Final |
Always K’ Always K’ Always K |
코끼리 k’ okkiri 단칸방 tan k’anpang 동녘 tongn yŏk |
| ㅌ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Always T’ 1. T’ before vowels, or afte r ㄱ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ and ㅈ 2. T before ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅅ and ㅈ 3. N before ‘ ㅣ ’ in compo und word, or before ㄴ,ㅁ Always T |
태풍 t’aep’u ng 국토 ku kt’o 같은 kat’ŭ n 같던 kattŏn 낱셈 natsem 밭일 pan nil 낱말 nanm al 햇볕 haetp yŏt |
| ㅍ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Always P’ 1. Always P’ as syllabic initial 2. P as syllabic final Always P |
편지 p’yŏnji 병풍 pyŏng p’ung 짚신 chipsin 풀잎 p’ullip |
| ㅎ |
Initial Medial*
Final |
Always H 1. H as syllabic initial after ㄱ, ㅂ and ㅅ 2 CH’ as syllabic initial after ㄷ and ㅈ 3. Not romanized as syllabic final before vowels 4. NN as syllabic final b efore ㄴ Always T |
황금 hwanggŭm 북한 Pukhan 잊혀진 ich’yŏjin 낳은 naŭ n 낳는 nannŭn 히읗 hiŭt |
| ㄲ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Always KK 1. KK, except after ㄱ , as syllabic initial 2. KK as syllabic final before vowels 3. K as syllabic final before others Not applicable |
까마귀 kka magwi 깔끔 kkal kkŭm 호박꽃 hobakkot 낚이다 na kki da 묶음 mu kkŭm 낚시 na ksi |
| ㄸ |
Initial Medial Final |
Always TT Always TT Not applicable |
땅 ttang 찰떡 ch’ alttŏk
|
| ㅃ |
Initial Medial Final |
Always PP Always PP Not applicable |
빨래 ppall ae 오빠 opp a
|
| ㅆ |
Initial Medial
Final |
Always SS 1. Always SS as syllabic initial or, between vowels 2. N as syllabic final before ㄴ 3. T as syllabic final before other consonants Not applicable |
씨름 ssirŭm 불쌍 pul ssan g 있으며 issŭ myŏ 있는 innŭ n 있냐 inn ya 했다 haetta 오갔고 og atko |
| ㅉ |
Initial Medial Final |
Always TCH Always TCH Not applicable |
짜증 tc hajŭng 가짜 kat cha
|
* For further detail regarding syllabic final medial ㅎ, see Romanization rule 7