Setting up a Korean voice
- Record 5 to 15 seconds of a native Korean speaker, in standard Seoul Korean or the regional speech you want.
- Set the voice's Language to Korean.
- Test with a time, an amount of money and a loanword.
Spacing changes meaning
Korean uses spaces between word units, and a misplaced space can change what a sentence says. The classic example: 아버지가 방에 들어가신다 (Father goes into the room) versus 아버지 가방에 들어가신다 (Father goes into the bag). Proofread spacing as carefully as spelling.
Two number systems
Korean uses native numbers for some things and Sino-Korean numbers for others, and digits don't say which:
| Use | System | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hours, counting things, age | Native | 세 시, 두 개, 스무 살 |
| Minutes, dates, money, phone numbers | Sino-Korean | 삼십 분, 삼월 일일, 오천 원 |
Write numbers in Hangul, and the voice reads the system you chose.
Writing Korean for the voice
- Hangul, not Hanja. Korean text is broken into its individual letters before it's read, so write every word in Hangul.
- Loanwords in Hangul: 컴퓨터 rather than "computer", for a Korean pronunciation.
- Latin letters for brands and acronyms can come out oddly; write them as they're said (유튜브).
- Speech levels: match the ending to the character and situation: -습니다, -요 or casual speech.
- Sound changes between syllables are normally handled well; test unusual names.
A passage to record
몇 주 전부터 이걸 녹음하고 싶었는데, 드디어 시작해 봅니다. 조용한 저녁이고, 커피도 준비됐고, 이제야 저만의 시간이 조금 생겼어요.
어떻게 들리는지 한번 볼까요?
"I've wanted to record this for weeks, and finally I'm starting. It's a quiet evening, the coffee's ready, and at last I have a little time of my own. Shall we see how it sounds?"
A dialogue to test with
지민: 벌써 도착했어? 여덟 시부터 기다렸어.
민준: 미안해! 길이 너무 막혔어.
지민: 그래도 왔으니까 됐어. 주문할까?Short-form and games
Korean short-form video, webtoon adaptations and games are natural fits for character voices. See short-form video and motion comics, and have a native speaker review every line.