Korean Nasalization: Why 국물 Is Read 궁물 and 신라 Is Read 실라

When a Korean syllable ending in ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ is followed by ㄴ or ㅁ, the first sound turns into a nasal: 국물 is read [궁물], not [국물]. Articles 18, 19 and 20 of the Standard Pronunciation (표준 발음법), published by the National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL), set out this rule and two related ones for ㄹ. As of October 2026, the version on the NIKL site is the one in force since March 28, 2017.

1. Article 18: ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ before ㄴ or ㅁ

The rule says that final sounds of the ㄱ, ㄷ and ㅂ families become [ㅇ], [ㄴ] and [ㅁ] before ㄴ or ㅁ. The pairing keeps the place of the mouth: ㄱ becomes ㅇ, ㄷ becomes ㄴ, ㅂ becomes ㅁ.

The commentary notes that the rule also works for letters outside the three families, because other final consonants are first reduced to ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ (the seven-sound rule), and nasalization applies after that. Double batchim work the same way after one consonant drops: 없는 is [엄는] and 읊는 is [음는].

The rule also applies across a space when two words are spoken as one phrase. The official examples include 밥 먹는다 [밤멍는다] and 책 넣는다 [챙넌는다].

Two limits are worth knowing. First, the commentary says the rule has no exceptions and is strong enough to apply between separate words. Second, it cannot apply to endings such as ㄾ and ㅀ, because those are read as [ㄹ] before a consonant, and ㄹ is not one of the sounds that nasalize.

1.1. Reading it in order

For 없는, the steps run like this. The double ending ㅄ loses one consonant and is read [ㅂ] before a consonant. The [ㅂ] then meets ㄴ and becomes [ㅁ], giving [엄는]. The same order works for 있는: ㅆ is read [ㄷ], and [ㄷ] before ㄴ becomes [ㄴ], giving [인는]. Applying the steps in order is a reliable way to predict a reading without memorizing each word.

2. Romanization follows the sound

The NIKL romanization rules say that when sounds change in assimilation, the Roman spelling follows the changed sound. The official examples are 백마 [뱅마] → Baengma, 종로 [종노] → Jongno and 왕십리 [왕심니] → Wangsimni. By the same rule, 국물 is written gungmul and 먹는 is written meongneun.

3. Article 19: ㄹ becomes ㄴ

The next rule covers ㄹ at the start of a syllable after ㅁ or ㅇ. It turns into [ㄴ]:

• 담력 → [담녁]
• 침략 → [침냑]
• 강릉 → [강능]
• 대통령 → [대통녕]

The attached note extends it to ㄹ after ㄱ or ㅂ. In that case, the ㄹ first becomes ㄴ, and then Article 18 nasalizes the ㄱ or ㅂ:

• 막론 → [막논] → [망논]
• 협력 → [협녁] → [혐녁]
• 법리 → [법니] → [범니]

The commentary explains the order: ㄱ cannot turn into ㅇ before ㄹ, so the ㄹ changes first.

Place names in the romanization rules show how this reads in English letters. 독립문 is written Dongnimmun, with the ㄱ already turned nasal.

4. Article 20: ㄴ and ㄹ side by side

When ㄴ and ㄹ meet, ㄴ is pronounced [ㄹ], whichever comes first. The official examples:

The romanization rules use two of these as models: 신라 is Silla and 대관령 is Daegwallyeong. Another example in the rules, 별내 [별래], is Byeollae.

The note says the same applies when ㄴ follows ㅀ or ㄾ: 닳는 [달른] and 핥네 [할레].

4.1. The exceptions to remember

Article 20 also lists words in which the ㄹ is pronounced [ㄴ] instead, words such as these, which end in 란, 량, 력, 령, 례, 료 and similar syllables:

• 의견란 → [의견난]
• 생산량 → [생산냥]
• 공권력 → [공꿘녁]
• 동원령 → [동원녕]
• 상견례 → [상견녜]
• 입원료 → [이붠뇨]

These words must be learned as a group, since the spelling does not tell you which pattern applies.

5. Key takeaways

• ㄱ, ㄷ and ㅂ sounds become ㅇ, ㄴ and ㅁ before ㄴ or ㅁ: 국물 [궁물], 닫는 [단는], 밥물 [밤물].
• Other final consonants are reduced first, then nasalized: 있는 [인는], 없는 [엄는].
• ㄹ after ㅁ or ㅇ becomes ㄴ: 강릉 [강능]; after ㄱ or ㅂ it becomes ㄴ and then nasalizes the ㄱ or ㅂ: 협력 [혐녁].
• ㄴ next to ㄹ is read [ㄹ]: 신라 [실라], 칼날 [칼랄].
• Official romanization follows the changed sound: Jongno, Wangsimni, Silla, Daegwallyeong.