Appendix · Guide & Notice

3. Obsolete tones in sound

    In modern Hangul, the concept of tone (pitch accent) is no
    longer used. Therefore, the examples of Hangul presented in
    the Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon also omit tone markings.
    Although tone has disappeared in modern Hangul, there are
    still homophones whose meanings change depending on the
    length of the sound. For example, the word 굴 gul, when
    pronounced with a long sound, means "cave," but when
    pronounced with a short sound, it means "oyster." Similarly,
    밤 bam, when pronounced with a long sound, refers to
    "night (time)," while with a short sound, it means "chestnut
    (nut)." Since the length of the sound is not marked in the
    writing, the meaning must be inferred from the context and
    situation.


    4. New terms

    Hanul-A (ㆍ)

    In Hunminjeongeum, ㆍ was described as the origin of all
    sounds. As the starting point of Hangul, ㆍ deserves to have
    its original name restored and its role reinstated.
    Due to the limitations of how ㆍ has long been referred to as
    Arae-A and its exclusion from modern Hangul, we have


    Appendix - Guide notice                                      265