How do you pronounce the letter d in Korean?

The pronunciation of the letter 'd' in Korean depends on its position in a syllable and the following sounds. There isn't a single, consistent pronunciation like in English. It's usually represented by the consonants ㄷ (ddieut) or ㅈ (jieut), which sound different depending on context.

* ㄷ (ddieut): This is generally pronounced as a voiceless alveolar stop, similar to the "d" in "dog" in English, *but only when it's at the beginning of a syllable or followed by a vowel.* Think of it as a more aspirated "d" sound.

* ㅈ (jieut): This represents a sound closer to "j" in "jump" or a soft "d" in words like "judge" particularly when it's between vowels or followed by certain consonants. It's often described as an *alveolar affricate*, meaning a combination of a stop consonant (like "d") followed by a fricative (like "j").

Therefore, a simple "d" sound in English doesn't perfectly map onto a single Korean consonant. You need to consider the syllable structure and surrounding sounds to determine whether ㄷ or ㅈ will be used and how they'll sound in that particular word. Learning through listening and practice is key.