Korean manual alphabet

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The Korean manual alphabet (지화 jihwa) is used by the Deaf in South Korea who speak Korean Sign Language. It is a one-handed alphabet that mimics the shapes of the letters in hangul.

[edit] Consonants

The only letter with motion as a component is ssang siot (ㅆ), which starts as what in the American Sign Language alphabet is a downward pointing 'R' handshape, and then snaps open.

ㄱ g	ㄴ n	ㄷ d	ㄹ r, l	ㅁ m
ㅂ b	ㅅ s	ㅆ ss	ㅇ ng	ㅈ j
ㅊ ch	ㅋ k	ㅌ t	ㅍ p	ㅎ h

[edit] Vowels

? a	? ae	? ya	? yae
? eo	? e	? yeo	? ye
? o	? oe	? yo
? u	? wi	? yu
? eu	? ui	? i

Note that the slight difference in orientation between eo, yeo and the diphthongs based on them, e, ye is not significant. KSL has no such difference.

[edit] See also

• Korean language
• List of Korea-related topics