Korean Pronunciation
How to Pronounce Tteokguk
Tteokguk is written 떡국 in Korean and pronounced “TTUK-guk”.
떡국
Tteokguk
TTUK-guk
Syllable Breakdown
Korean is a syllabic language — each block is one syllable. Break Tteokguk into parts:
떡
tteok
국
guk
tteok + guk = Tteokguk
Pronunciation Guide
The first syllable 떡 (tteok) uses a tense 'tt' consonant — imagine tensing your tongue against the roof of your mouth before releasing a 't' sound, giving it a harder, more clipped sound than regular 't'. The vowel is short, like 'duck'. The second syllable 국 (guk) sounds like 'gook' with a deep 'oo'. Together: TTUK-guk.
Common Mistake
Saying 'tok-guk' with a soft 't'. The double 't' in tteok is a tense consonant — imagine a crisp 't' with extra pressure.
What is Tteokguk?
Tteokguk (떡국) is a traditional Korean rice cake soup eaten on Lunar New Year (Seollal). Eating a bowl symbolically adds one year to your age in the Korean age system.
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