Common English Mistakes That Korean Speakers Make
If you are Korean and learning English, you know that the two languages are very different.
English uses a different alphabet, grammar rules, and sentence structure than Korean does.
In this article, we will look at six common mistakes that Korean speakers make when learning English, and how to improve them
The "th" Sound
Korean does not have the “th” sound, so many learners tend to replace it with an “s” sound. For example:
● ‘Think’ becomes ‘sink’
● ‘This’ becomes ‘sis’
The ‘th’ sound is really common in the English language, so it’s worth learning to make this sound correctly. You make it by putting your tongue between your teeth and blowing air out. It takes practice, but you can learn it with time and patience.
"Fun" vs "Funny
In Korean, these two words are often translated the same way: 재밌다 . But in English, you need to know when it’s a noun and when it’s an adjective.
For example:
● The party was fun.
● The movie was funny.
‘Funny’ is the adjective you use to describe when something makes you laugh – ‘The movie was funny’ because it made you laugh. ‘Fun’ in the second sentence is a noun; this means that the party was enjoyable and that it was a good experience.
Pronouns and articles are needed in English
Similar to other languages, Korean doesn’t always need to say ‘I’, ‘you’ or ‘we’ in a sentence. A verb’s conjugation will tell you who they are talking about. This is known as a pronoun-drop.
In English, many verb conjugations are similar, or the same, so it’s important to show who is doing what action.
For example:
‘Going to school’ is fine to say in the Korean language, however it’s incorrect in the English. In English, you would need to say: ‘I’m going to school’, ‘You are going to school’ or ‘He is going to school.’
Articles such as a, an, and the are necessary in English too. These small words help give meaning:
● A / an
Use these articles to talk about a thing in general.
For example: ‘I have a dog’, ‘We are going to see a doctor’ or ‘There is an octopus in the sea.’
● The
This article refers to something specific in the environment that is known to people having a
conversation.
conversation.
For example: ‘The book on the table.’, ‘The cat is drinking.’ or ‘The dog is sleeping.’
Tenses: Present Simple vs Present Continuous
In English, we use tenses to show time. Two important tenses are:
● Present Simple
We use this for things that are always true or happen regularly.
For example: ‘I work at a bank.’, ‘I live in London.’ or ‘I eat pizza for dinner.’
● Present Continuous
We use this for things happening now or things that are temporary.
For example: ‘I am working from home today.’, ‘I’m living in London.’ or ‘I’m going for a swim.’
In Korean, this difference isn’t always shown clearly, so it’s important to remember which tense to use in English.
There’s more than one way to say ‘It’s Okay’
The Korean expression 괜찮아 is used in many situations. It translates to ‘It’s okay’ in English. English speakers often use more specific phrases depending on the situation.
For example:
‘Sorry!’ → ‘Don’t worry about it.’ or ‘That’s alright.’
‘Can I help you with anything?’ → ‘I’m okay, thank you.’
‘Can I help you with anything?’ → ‘I’m okay, thank you.’
‘I’m late for class.’ → ‘That’s alright.’
‘It’s okay’ is still correct, and many English speakers use it. But learning other ways to reply will help you sound more fluent and natural.
Prepositions can have patterns
Prepositions are particularly difficult in English – but there are patterns to them! In, on and at are prepositions that behave in a pattern when they give more detail about time and place.
These are the patterns that you can memorise:
● On + days → on Monday, on my birthday
● In + months/years → in May, in 2022
● In + months/years → in May, in 2022
● At + times → at 9 o’clock, at midnight
Top Tip!: Try to learn these patterns together with example sentences, such as ‘On my birthday, I celebrated with my friends and ate cake.’, ‘At 9am, I go to my English lessons’ or ‘In December, I celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve.’
Final Thoughts
English can be tricky for Korean speakers — the grammar, pronunciation and sentence structure are quite different. But once you know what to look out for, you can start to improve.
The more you practise, the more confident you’ll feel. At Speak Up London, our teachers understand these challenges and will help you learn step by step.
We’re here to support you on your English journey!
Author: Speak Up London team