Korean · Hangul and Jamo
Compare Korean romanization systems
Enter modern Korean text once and compare Revised Romanization, McCune–Reischauer, and Yale in parallel. The converter decomposes each Hangul block, examines neighboring syllables for common pronunciation changes, and preserves the source’s spaces and punctuation when requested.
The systems serve different purposes. Revised Romanization is South Korea’s current national system and avoids special marks where possible. McCune–Reischauer represents pronunciation with distinctions such as ŏ, ŭ, and aspiration apostrophes. Yale is primarily a linguistic system: this automatic profile follows written jamo instead of imitating surface sound changes.
Use the syllable table to inspect initial, medial, and final letters alongside context-adjusted readings. Automatic results remain reference aids: personal names, established place-name spellings, lexical exceptions, dialect pronunciation, and Hanja readings can require an authoritative source or a knowledgeable Korean speaker.
The parallel layout makes these differences explicit instead of treating one convention as universally correct. You can copy an individual profile for focused work or download all three labeled outputs with the original text for later comparison.
Side-by-side comparison
Three systems, one source
South Korean national system
Revised Romanization
Names, administrative units, established spellings, and lexical exceptions may differ from automatic output.
General/classic profile
McCune–Reischauer
ALA-LC, North Korean, and geographic-name variants differ in details; this profile does not silently mix them.
Source: McCune and Reischauer (1939)
Linguistic profile
Yale Romanization
Modern Hangul does not reliably encode lexical vowel length, q reinforcement, or every morpheme boundary; this profile inserts only mechanically recoverable boundary dots.
Source: TUFS Yale Romanization table
Syllable breakdown
Hangul letters, contextual reading, and three outputs
Contextual readings show common sound changes; they are not dictionary pronunciations or full phonetic notation.
| Syllable | Jamo | Context reading | Revised | McCune–Reischauer | Yale | Applied rule |
|---|
How the Korean converter works
Hangul decomposition
Each modern Hangul block is separated into an initial consonant, vowel, and optional final consonant. The engine keeps these source letters for Yale while also building a context-sensitive pronunciation layer for the two transcription systems.
Sound changes
Common liaison, nasalization, liquid behavior, aspiration, and final-consonant rules can cross a syllable boundary. Revised Romanization does not write automatically derived tense consonants; McCune–Reischauer exposes many such contexts through its consonant sequences. Spaces and punctuation limit which neighboring syllables are considered together.
Standards boundary
The Revised profile follows the general Korean government rules for ordinary text. The McCune–Reischauer profile follows the original system rather than silently substituting an ALA-LC, North Korean, or geographic-name variant. Yale is presented as a modern Korean linguistic profile.
Names and official use
People and institutions may retain established spellings that differ from automatic output. For passports, citations, maps, legal documents, or catalog records, use the spelling and profile required by the relevant authority.
Static comparison examples
| Hangul | Revised | McCune–Reischauer | Yale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 서울 | Seoul | Sŏul | Sewul |
| 부산 | Busan | Pusan | Pusan |
| 한국어 | Hangugeo | Han'gugŏ | Hankwuk.e |
| 독립문 | Dongnimmun | Tongnimmun | Toklipmun |
Sources and profile definitions
Korean romanization converter FAQ
Why do consonants change between syllables?
Korean pronunciation changes according to neighboring sounds. A final consonant can link to the next vowel, become nasal, combine with ㅎ, or affect the following consonant. Revised Romanization and McCune–Reischauer reflect many of these changes.
Why is Yale so different?
Yale was designed for linguistic analysis and represents underlying spelling and morpheme structure more directly. It should not be read as an English pronunciation guide.
Can I use this for a Korean name or passport?
Use it as a comparison aid only. Personal names often keep conventional family spellings, and official documents follow the holder’s registered spelling and the responsible authority’s rules.