Korean can be tricky even for native speakers because its pronunciation and spelling don’t always match up perfectly. It’s not uncommon for people to make spelling mistakes, but while the meaning usually gets through, repeated errors can impact how trustworthy someone seems, especially in professional settings. Of course, we can be more forgiving to those learning Korean, but it’s always better to use the correct spelling, right? :) In this post, we’ll look at some common spelling mistakes even native Koreans often make. I’m planning to turn this into a series, so stay tuned!
‘되’ vs. ‘돼’
This is one of the most frequent spelling mistakes in Korean. Although '되' and '돼' sound similar, their usage is different. '돼' is the shortened form of '되어,' as in '돼요' (short for 되어요) or '됐어요' (short for 되었어요). On the other hand, '되' is the original form of the verb '되다' and appears in forms like '-되고,' '-되니,' '-되기,' '-되지,' and '-되면.'
An easy way to tell them apart is by expanding '돼' to '되어.' If '되어' fits naturally in the sentence, then '돼' is correct; if not, '되' is the right choice. Let’s look at some examples:
• 저는 의사가 되고 싶어요. (It would be incorrect to say '되어고'.)
• 제가 해도 돼요? ('되어요' works here, so '돼' is correct.)
‘않다’ vs. ‘안’
These two can also be confusing. '안' is an adverb used before verbs or adjectives to mean “not,” as in 안 가다 (not go) or 안 먹다 (not eat). Meanwhile, '않다' is a verb itself and is used with the form ‘~지 않다,’ like 가지 않다 (do not go) or 먹지 않다 (do not eat).
• 아침을 안 먹었어요. (I didn’t eat breakfast.)
• 아침을 먹지 않았어요. (I didn’t eat breakfast.)
‘맞히다’ vs. ‘맞추다’
'맞히다' means to correctly answer a question or get something right. On the other hand, '맞추다' can have several meanings but is commonly used to refer to aligning or coordinating something correctly. The pronunciation of '맞히다' changes to [마치다] when the final consonant 'ㅈ' meets the consonant 'ㅎ,' making it sound like '맞추다' [마추다], which is why these two are often confused.
• 문제를 맞혔어요. (I got the question right.)
• 퍼즐을 맞췄어요. (I completed the puzzle.)
‘가르치다’ vs. ‘가리키다’
'가르치다' refers to teaching or instructing, while '가리키다' means to point at something, like a direction or an object. These words have completely different meanings, so it’s important to use them correctly based on the context.
• 한국어를 가르쳤어요. (I taught Korean.)
• 손가락으로 메뉴를 가리켰어요. (I pointed at the menu with my finger.)
➤ These are just a few examples of spelling mistakes that even native Korean speakers often make. To improve your spelling, it’s helpful to regularly study tricky areas and double-check your writing before hitting "send." Developing a habit of reviewing spelling can go a long way in making sure you communicate clearly and accurately.
