Korean Phonology - Phonotactics

Phonotactics

Korean syllable structure is maximally /CGVC/, where G is a glide /j/ or /w/. Any consonant but /ŋ/ may occur initially, whereas only /p, t, k, m, n, ŋ, l/ may occur finally. Sequences of two consonants may occur between vowels, as outlined above. However, morphemes may also end in CC clusters, which are only both expressed when followed by a vowel. When the morpheme is not suffixed, one of the consonants is not expressed; if there is a /h/, which cannot appear in final position, it will be that; otherwise it will be a coronal consonant, and if the sequence is two coronals, then the voiceless one (/s, tʰ, tɕ/) will drop, and /n/ or /l/ will remain. That is, no sequence reduces to in final position.

Sequence	ㄳ gs	ㄺ lg	ㄵ nj	ㄶ nh	ㄽ ls	ㄾ lt	ㅀ lh	ㅄ bs	ㄼ lb	ㄿ lp	ㄻ lm
Medial allophone
Final allophone

When such a sequence is followed by a consonant, the same reduction takes place, but a trace of the lost consonant may remain in its effect on the following consonant. These effects are the same as in a sequence between vowels: an elided obstruent will leave the third consonant fortis, if it's a stop, and an elided |h| will leave it aspirated. Most conceivable combinations do not actually occur; a few examples are: |lh-tɕ| =, |nh-t| =, |nh-s| =, |ltʰ-t| =, |ps-k| =, |ps-tɕ| = ; also |ps-n| =, as /s/ has no effect on a following /n/, and |ks-h| =, with the /s/ dropping out.

When the second and third consonants are homorganic obstruents, they merge, becoming fortis or aspirate, and—depending on the word, and a preceding |l| might not elide: |lk-k| is .

An elided |l| has no effect: |lk-t| =, |lk-tɕ| =, |lk-s| =, |lk-n| =, |lm-t| =, |lp-k| =, |lp-t| =, |lp-tɕ| =, |lpʰ-t| =, |lpʰ-tɕ| =, |lp-n| = .

Among vowels, the sequences /*jø, *jɯ, *ji, *wo, *wɯ, *wu/ do not occur, and it is not possible to write them using standard hangul. The semivowel only occurs in the diphthong /ɰi/. There are no offglides in Korean; historical *uj, *oj, *ɯj have become modern /ɥi/, /we/, /ɰi/.