Korean Phonology: Saissori

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Saissori (사잇소리)

In Korean, when a noun that ends with voiced sound and a noun that starts with voiceless are put together to create a compound word, ã„´ or ã…? sounds are added. This is known as Saissori.

For example:

• ì†? + 등 = ì†?등 (pronounced 'ì†?뜽')
• ë’¤ + ì?¼ = ë’·ì?¼ (pronounced 'ë’¨ë‹?')
• ì?´ + 몸 = 잇몸 (pronounced 'ì?¸ëª¸')
• 비 + 물 = 빗물 (pronounced '빈물')
• 나무 + 잎 = 나뭇잎 (pronounced '나문닙')

Saissori are not spelled when the first noun ends with a consonant (like '�'), and when the first noun ends with a vowel, a ㅅ is added.

Saissori were spelled in various ways - ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅸ, ㆆ, ㅅ, ㅿ - in Middle Korean but in Modern Korean they're just spelled with ㅅ, or not spelled at all. Following are examples when Saissori aren't spelled:

• 수 + 놈 = 수놈 (pronounced '순놈')
• 수 + 나사 = 수나사 (pronounced '순나사')

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