English pronunciation for Korean speakers
- Free diagnostic
- No card
- 6 transfer points
The specific sounds to check
l and r are positional variants of one sound
In Korean, the choice between an l-like and r-like sound is decided by where it falls in a word, not by meaning — so right and light don't start from two separate sounds the way they need to in English.
No native f or v
Korean has neither sound; both are usually approximated with p or b, so fan can drift toward pan and van toward ban.
Final consonants are typically unreleased
Korean often stops a final consonant without audibly releasing it, so English word endings can sound clipped or swallowed to a listener expecting a clear final release, especially on voiced consonants.
th has no native equivalent
Both English th sounds are usually replaced with s or d in Korean-accented English.
No native z
Korean has no z; it's typically replaced with j or s, so rise can drift toward rice or a j-coloured ending.
What a week looks like
Day 1-2
Drill right/light and four more r/l pairs, exaggerating tongue position for each.
Day 3-4
Practise f and v with visible teeth-on-lip contact, avoiding a full lip closure.
Day 5-6
Read a paragraph aloud, deliberately releasing every final consonant with a small puff of air.
Day 7
Re-read the diagnostic line and compare it against your Day 1 take.
Not every point above will be yours
These are common, well-documented transfer patterns for Korean speakers as a group — not a rule about any one person. Region, schooling and how long someone has spoken English all change which of these actually apply. The diagnostic line is there to tell you which ones are really yours, not the list above on its own.Straight answers
Why does l/r show up for both Korean and Japanese speakers?
Both languages have one sound where English has two, though the underlying sound and the exact rule for when it sounds more like l versus more like r differ between them. In both cases the fix is the same: build two genuinely separate articulations.
Does an unreleased final consonant change meaning?
It can — an unreleased "bag" can sound closer to "back" to an English listener. It's worth deliberate practice even though it feels like a small habit.