Back to RulesUnit 7 · Rule 7/10
좋아요[조아요]
ㅎ Deletion
When a vowel follows a ㅎ batchim, the ㅎ silently disappears. That is why 좋아요 (I like it) is pronounced [조아요].
Pattern
받침 ㅎ + 모음 → ㅎ 탈락
How It Works
ㅎ weakens and drops between vowels or voiced sounds (ㄴ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅇ). The faster the speech, the more often it vanishes — you hear it constantly in K-dramas and K-pop.
Transformation Examples
See — and hear — how the spelling turns into its actual pronunciation.
좋아요
[조아요]
joayo
I like it
싫어
[시러]
sireo
I hate it
놓아
[노아]
noa
put down
많아
[마나]
mana
many
Exceptions & Notes
When a consonant follows, the ㅎ aspirates instead of dropping. 좋다 becomes [조타] and 많다 becomes [만타], merging into aspirated sounds.
Check Your Understanding
01
How is 싫어 (I hate it) pronounced?
02
When does ㅎ deletion happen?