Mistakes usually have three causes
Romanization mistakes mostly come from three sources. First, traces of the system used before the 2000 revision (Pusan, Kimpo, Taegu). Second, converting letter by letter without reflecting sound changes (Jongro, Sinra). Third, spellings that imitate English pronunciation, such as sh, oo and ee. The tables below collect examples often seen on signs, business cards and menus.
Missed sound changes
| Hangul | Wrong | Correct | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 종로 | Jongro | Jongno | Nasalization of ㄹ [종노] |
| 신라 | Sinra | Silla | Lateralization [실라] |
| 왕십리 | Wangsipri | Wangsimni | Nasalization [왕심니] |
| 독립문 | Dokripmun | Dongnimmun | Nasalization [동님문] |
| 해돋이 | haedodi | haedoji | Palatalization [해도지] |
| 같이 | gati | gachi | Palatalization [가치] |
| 대관령 | Daegwanryeong | Daegwallyeong | Lateralization + ll |
| 백마 | Baekma | Baengma | Nasalization [뱅마] |
All of these are official examples of Chapter 3, Article 1 (items 1 and 3) or words that follow the same rules. Enter them in the converter and open the syllable mapping to see which rule applied.
Reflecting what should not be reflected
| Hangul | Wrong | Correct | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 압구정 | Apkkujeong | Apgujeong | Tensing not written |
| 울산 | Ulssan | Ulsan | Tensing not written |
| 묵호 | Muko | Mukho | ㅎ in nouns is written out |
| 한복남 (name) | Han Bongnam | Han Boknam | No sound changes in names |
Traces of the old system
| Hangul | Old spelling | Current spelling |
|---|---|---|
| 부산 | Pusan | Busan |
| 대구 | Taegu | Daegu |
| 광주 | Kwangju | Gwangju |
| 제주 | Cheju | Jeju |
| 경주 | Kyongju | Gyeongju |
The 1984 system (based on McCune-Reischauer) wrote initial ㄱ·ㄷ·ㅂ·ㅈ as k·t·p·ch and used marks such as ŏ and ŭ. The 2000 revision changed these to g·d·b·j before vowels. However, English names that an institution has long used, such as Pusan National University (부산대학교), may be kept under Chapter 3, Article 7, so check the institution's official spelling for proper names.
Mixing in English spelling
- sh: 신촌 Shinchon → Sinchon, 시청 Shicheong → Sicheong ("city hall"). There is no sh in the system.
- oo, ee: Do not imitate English spelling, as in 부산 Boosan or 이태원 Eetaewon. ㅜ is u and ㅣ is i.
- ㅓ as u: Writing 서울 Soul or 거제 Guje makes ㅓ indistinguishable from ㅜ. ㅓ is eo.
Hyphens and spacing
- Missing hyphen before an administrative unit: 해운대구 Haeundaegu → Haeundae-gu.
- Hyphen in cultural properties and natural features: 경복궁 Gyeongbok-gung → Gyeongbokgung, 한라산 Halla-san → Hallasan. Under Article 6 these are written as one word without a hyphen.
- Doubled English word: Writing 한강 as Hangang River is a commonly accepted way of labeling for visitors, but it is worth knowing that it says "river" twice (강 already means river). The romanization system itself specifies only Hangang.
Capitals
Proper nouns begin with a capital letter (Chapter 3, Article 3: 부산 Busan, 세종 Sejong). In personal names, the letter after the hyphen is lowercase (Min Yong-ha, not Min Yong-Ha). Passports are the exception and use all capitals.
Make checking a habit
Spellings on signs and business cards are hard to change once printed. At a minimum, check these two things.
- Does ㄴ, ㄹ, ㅁ or ㅇ meet another consonant anywhere within a single word (a possible sound change)?
- Is there an existing spelling already in use, as with personal or institutional names?
Basis: Romanization of Korean, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, Articles 1–7; full text on the National Institute of Korean Language website. Checked 2026-09-23.