Type Korean with Roman Letters

Q: Do I type by pronunciation or by spelling?

By spelling. "Thank you" is typed gamsahabnida, not the way it sounds (gamsahamnida). The most common gap, nasalization at the end of polite verb endings like -습니다/-ㅂ니다, is handled: type gamsahamnida and 감사합니다 will usually still turn up as a candidate, press ↓ to pick it. Other sound changes, like liaison or palatalization, aren't covered yet, so those still need correct spelling.

Type the romanization you already know, and it converts to Korean automatically. No keyboard layout to memorize.

Type by spelling, not by pronunciation: johayo joayo

Try it:

How it works

Type a romanized word, like annyeonghaseyo.
When a word is ambiguous, a candidate list pops up below it: press ↓ to cycle, or press 1/2/3 to jump directlytap the candidate you want, then press Enter to confirm. To force a specific split, capitalize the first letter of the next syllable: gaEul always splits into 가 + 을, and it's faster to type than a hyphen. A hyphen (ga-eul) works the same way if you prefer it.
Press space or Enter to confirm, then copy and paste wherever you need it.

Current limitations

Default accuracy is roughly 80%. When it picks the wrong reading, press ↓ to choose the right candidate. Everything you type stays in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server.

Romanization table

ㄹ accepts both r and l, as an initial or as a final.

Initials (19)

ㄱg ㄲkk ㄴn ㄷd ㄸtt ㄹl / r ㅁm ㅂb ㅃpp ㅅs ㅆss ㅇ– ㅈj ㅉjj ㅊch ㅋk ㅌt ㅍp ㅎh

Medials (21)

ㅏa ㅐae ㅑya ㅒyae ㅓeo ㅔe ㅕyeo ㅖye ㅗo ㅘwa ㅙwae ㅚoe ㅛyo ㅜu ㅝwo ㅞwe ㅟwi ㅠyu ㅡeu ㅢui ㅣi

Finals (28)

(none)– ㄱg ㄲkk ㄳgs ㄴn ㄵnj ㄶnh ㄷd ㄹl / r ㄺlg ㄻlm ㄼlb ㄽls ㄾlt ㄿlp ㅀlh ㅁm ㅂb ㅄbs ㅅs ㅆss ㅇng ㅈj ㅊch ㅋk ㅌt ㅍp ㅎh

Dubeolsik keyboard reference

Dubeolsik is South Korea's official keyboard layout. Once you install a Korean IME, this is what your keyboard turns into: every key maps to one fixed consonant or vowel, and you have to memorize the whole layout before you can type anything. This tool skips that entirely — type the romanization you already know instead. The diagram below is just a reference for comparison; the keys aren't clickable.

ㅃㅂq ㅉㅈw ㄸㄷe ㄲㄱr ㅆㅅt ㅛy ㅕu ㅑi ㅒㅐo ㅖㅔp

ㅁa ㄴs ㅇd ㄹf ㅎg ㅗh ㅓj ㅏk ㅣl

ㅋz ㅌx ㅊc ㅍv ㅠb ㅜn ㅡm

space

The small blue letter in the top-left corner of a key needs Shift — Shift+q gives ㅃ.

FAQ

Do I need to install anything to use this Korean keyboard?

No. It's a web tool: open the page and start typing. No Korean IME to install, no system keyboard to switch.

How is this different from installing a 두벌식 Korean keyboard layout?

두벌식 means memorizing where each letter sits on the keyboard: d for ㅇ, k for ㅏ, and so on (see the full layout under "Dubeolsik keyboard reference" above). This tool uses the romanization you already know instead. Type annyeong and get 안녕, no new layout to learn.

Do I type by pronunciation or by spelling?

By spelling. "Thank you" is typed gamsahabnida, not the way it sounds (gamsahamnida). The most common gap, nasalization at the end of polite verb endings like -습니다/-ㅂ니다, is handled: type gamsahamnida and 감사합니다 will usually still turn up as a candidate, press ↓ to pick it. Other sound changes, like liaison or palatalization, aren't covered yet, so those still need correct spelling.

Can it type names or new words that aren't in any dictionary?

Yes. This isn't a dictionary lookup. It builds syllables straight from Hangul spelling rules, so any valid romanization works, including names, places, and words no dictionary has caught up with yet.

Can I type Korean with romanization on my phone?

Yes. Tapping the text box brings up your phone's keyboard, and you can tap a candidate to pick it instead of using arrow keys. Autocorrect behavior varies by keyboard app, so if a word comes out differently than expected, check the spelling-not-pronunciation note above.

Is there an app?

Not yet. You can add this page to your phone's home screen from your browser's menu, and it'll open with a tap, just like an app.

Why I built this

Typing Korean on a computer is a common wall for beginners: 두벌식 means memorizing where every letter sits on the keyboard, and early on, looking things up one character at a time is painfully slow. This tool lets you type the romanization you already know instead of learning a new keyboard layout.