Start with Hangul, which has 24 basic letters, then read short graded stories every day and review the words you look up. These guides cover each stage: how hard Korean is and how long it takes, the writing system, your first 100 words, a 15-minute routine, a 30-day reading plan, and how TOPIK levels compare with the CEFR.
- Korean taught
- Standard Seoul Korean
- Covers
- Complete beginner to B2
- Romanization
- Revised Romanization, in examples only
- Sources
- FSI, TOPIK, Yonsei University, the National Institute of Korean Language and vocabulary research, cited on each guide
- Contos data
- Word counts and examples measured from the Contos Korean library
- A 30-day Korean reading planA day-by-day 30-day Korean reading plan built on real A1 and A2 stories: one short chapter a day, second readings for Hangul speed, and a free route.
- Your first 100 Korean wordsThe 100 words that turn up most in real beginner Korean stories, with Hangul, romanization and meaning, and exactly how we counted them.
- How long does it take to learn Korean?Honest Korean timelines for English speakers: the FSI's 88 weeks, Yonsei's 200-hour terms, what an hour a day buys, and how Contos stories grow by level.
- How many Korean words do you need?How many Korean words you need to read and move up a level: the national learner word list, research on coverage, and what Korean stories show.
- Is Korean hard to learn for English speakers?Why Korean is hard for English speakers (word order, speech styles, unfamiliar words), what is easier than it looks, and what real beginner stories show.
- Korean CEFR levels explained: A1 to B2What A1, A2, B1 and B2 mean for Korean, how the TOPIK exam's six levels and pass marks work, and one story written at all four levels so you can compare.
- Korean reading practice: a 15-minute daily routineA 15-minute daily Korean reading routine: what to do minute by minute, how to read Hangul faster, a week's plan, and how to tell if a story is too hard.
- Korean vs Japanese: which should you learn?Korean or Japanese? How similar their grammar really is, why Korean is quicker to start reading, shared Chinese-derived words, and how to choose.
- The Korean writing system for beginnersHow Hangul works: 24 basic letters shaped after the mouth, how they stack into syllable blocks, why Korean has spaces, and what beginner stories ask of you.
- How to learn Korean by readingA reading-first way into Korean: learn Hangul's 24 letters, read short graded stories, tap and review new words. With honest timelines from the FSI.
How should you work through the Korean guides?
Korean has a quick first step and a long middle. The guides follow that shape:
- Decide. Is Korean hard? covers word order, speech styles and unfamiliar vocabulary; how long it takes puts numbers on it. Weighing up Japanese too? Korean vs Japanese.
- Learn Hangul. The Korean writing system shows how the letters stack into syllable blocks. This is the step that goes fastest, so do it first.
- First words. Your first 100 Korean words, counted from real beginner stories.
- Daily reading. How to learn Korean by reading, the 15-minute routine, with tips for reading Hangul faster, and the 30-day reading plan.
- Levels. Korean CEFR levels explains TOPIK's six levels next to A1 to B2, and how many words you need shows when to step up.
What does a first Korean story look like?
Short, formal-polite sentences with the verb at the end. This is the opening line of 시장의 법칙 (Market Law), an A1 Contos series set in a Seoul market:
토요일 아침 광진시장은 바쁩니다.Toyoil achim Gwangjinsijangeun bappeumnida.
Once you can sound out Hangul, a line like this takes a minute with a couple of taps. That is why the reading order above puts the writing system before everything except deciding to start.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to start learning Korean?
Learn Hangul first; it is the quickest win in the language. Then read simple stories every day, learn the polite -요 verb endings early, and review new words as flashcards. Add listening alongside, because written and spoken Korean sound different in places where letters change next to each other.
How long does it take to learn Korean?
The US Foreign Service Institute puts Korean in its hardest group for English speakers, at 88 weeks of full-time training. Reading simple stories comes much sooner. How long it takes compares the FSI figure with university course hours.
Is Korean easier than Japanese?
Easier to start reading, because Hangul is one small alphabet while Japanese needs two kana scripts and then kanji. The grammar of the two is strikingly similar. Korean vs Japanese compares them in detail.
What is TOPIK?
The Test of Proficiency in Korean, the standard exam for learners. It has six levels across two papers, TOPIK I and TOPIK II. The Korean CEFR levels guide explains the pass marks and how they compare with A1 to B2.