LingoDrop
Korean · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "누나" in Korean?
nu-na. Two forward n sounds with a rounded vowel and then an open one -- among the softest words in the course.
nuna
Nothing rises or falls here. Because the two consonants are identical, the vowels carry all the contrast, and letting the second reduce to a schwa is what makes the word sound English rather than Korean.
Listen: 누나
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
저는 누나가 한 명 있어요.
Jeoneun nunaga han myeong isseoyo.
I have one older sister.
Listen: 저는 누나가 한 명 있어요.
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저는 누나가 한 명 있어요 uses the counter 명 with 한, and 있어요 supplies a resyllabified double s. The noun itself is entirely voiced and unobstructed, which is why it sits so easily inside a sentence.
Where English speakers slip
Reducing the second vowel gives 'NOO-nuh', the standard English rhythm error, when both syllables are full and equal. Learners also make the n sounds too far back on the ridge, whereas Korean's are closer to the teeth and consequently a little crisper.