Double batchim rules

Some syllables end in two different consonants stacked together, like ㄺ in 닭 or ㅄ in 값. This is a double batchim, or 겹받침. You write both letters, but at the end of a word you usually pronounce only one of them. This guide shows which one wins.

Last updated: July 2026

The basic rule

At the end of a word, or before another consonant, a double batchim keeps only one of its two consonants. The other one goes silent. For example 닭 is read [닥] because only ㄱ survives, and 값 is read [갑] because only ㅂ survives. There is no single shortcut for which one wins, so the table below is the thing to learn.

Every cluster at a glance

A useful pattern: clusters ending in ㅅ, ㅈ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ (ㄳ, ㄵ, ㄾ, ㄿ, ㅀ, ㅄ) almost always drop that second letter and keep the first. The two that keep the second letter are ㄺ → [ㄱ] and ㄻ → [ㅁ].

When a vowel follows

The "keep one" rule applies at the end of a word or before a consonant. But when the next syllable starts with a vowel, both consonants are used: the first stays as the batchim and the second links over. So 닭 alone is [닥], but 닭이 is [달기], and 값 alone is [갑] while 값이 is [갑씨]. This linking is covered in how to read batchim.

Exceptions to know later

A few words break the table above, and it is fine to learn them later. The clearest example is 밟다, which is pronounced [밥따] even though ㄼ normally keeps ㄹ. Verbs with ㄺ can also shift to [ㄹ] before the ending -고 (읽고 is [일꼬]). Do not let these slow you down at the start; the regular table covers the large majority of words.

Practice it

The fastest way to make these automatic is to see the word and choose before you check. The batchim practice quiz has a "Double batchim" mode that shows a cluster word and asks which consonant is voiced, then explains the answer.