Korean Onomatopoeia in Webtoons: A Sound Effects Glossary
Korean onomatopoeia in webtoons is the text drawn into the art: 쾅 when a door slams, 두근두근 when a heart pounds, 꼬르륵 when a stomach rumbles. Korean has thousands of these sound and motion words, and webtoons use them on almost every page. This glossary groups 84 common ones by the kind of scene they appear in, with meanings checked against the Standard Korean Language Dictionary.
Quick answer: Korean sound words come in two kinds: 의성어 (words for sounds, like 쾅, bang) and 의태어 (words for movements and states, like 반짝, twinkle). Many come in pairs where bright vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ) mean small and light and dark vowels (ㅓ, ㅜ) mean big and heavy, such as 반짝 and 번쩍.
On this page
What are uiseongeo and uitaeeo?
의성어 (uiseongeo) imitate sounds: 쿵 (thud), 딩동 (ding-dong), 냠냠 (munching). 의태어 (uitaeeo) describe how something moves, looks or feels, things that make no sound at all: 살금살금 (sneaking), 빤히 (staring), 뭉클 (being moved). English has plenty of the first kind and very few of the second, which is why Korean comics seem to label everything, even a glance.
In webtoons both kinds are hand-lettered into the panel, often stretched, repeated or shaken to show intensity. The dictionary entry is usually the base form, while the panel might show 쾅쾅쾅 or a drawn-out 쿠웅. Recognize the root and you have the meaning.
How Korean sound words work
Three patterns make most sound words guessable, and the dictionary notes them directly.
| Pattern | Example | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Bright vs dark vowels | 반짝 / 번쩍 | A small light vs a big flash |
| 퐁당 / 풍덩 | A small stone plops vs something big plunges | |
| 졸졸 / 줄줄 | A thin trickle vs a heavy stream | |
| 깡충깡충 / 껑충껑충 | Short legs hopping vs long legs bounding | |
| Plain, tense, aspirated consonants | 꽝 / 쾅 | 쾅 is the harsher, stronger bang |
| 힐금 / 힐끔 | 힐끔 is a sharper glance | |
| Doubling | 쿵 / 쿵쿵 | One thud vs repeated thuds |
Bright vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ) feel small, light and cute; dark vowels (ㅓ, ㅜ, ㅡ) feel big, heavy or dull. Tense consonants (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) and aspirated ones (ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ) make a word sharper or stronger than its plain version. Once you've noticed this, a new sound word is rarely a total mystery.
Fights and impacts
These fill action series like the ones in our action and fantasy manhwa list.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 쾅 | kwang | bang, slam, boom | Doors, punches, explosions; stronger than 꽝 |
| 쿵 | kung | thud, thump | Something heavy hits the ground |
| 탁 | tak | smack, snap; a sudden hit | A hand on a table, a grab, a snap |
| 툭 | tuk | a light tap or drop | A shoulder bump, a dropped object |
| 퍽 | peok | a hard, dull hit | Punches and kicks |
| 휙 | hwik | whoosh, a quick swish | A fast turn, a dodge, a throw |
| 쓱 | sseuk | a smooth, quiet slide | A hand slipping something over, someone appearing |
| 펑 | peong | pop, bang | Balloons, explosions, magic |
| 쨍그랑 | jjaenggeurang | crash of breaking glass | A dropped cup, a smashed window |
| 와장창 | wajangchang | a crashing collapse | Something falling apart all at once |
| 찰싹 | chalssak | slap, smack | A slap; also "stuck tight" to someone |
| 꽈당 | kkwadang | thud of a heavy fall | Someone tripping and hitting the floor |
Movement and body language
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 벌떡 | beoltteok | springing up suddenly | Jumping out of bed or a chair |
| 털썩 | teolsseok | flopping down heavily | Collapsing onto a sofa, giving up |
| 후다닥 | hudadak | scrambling in a hurry | Running off, hiding something fast |
| 살금살금 | salgeum-salgeum | sneaking, on tiptoe | Creeping past someone |
| 터벅터벅 | teobeok-teobeok | trudging wearily | Walking home after a bad day |
| 성큼성큼 | seongkeum-seongkeum | with long, confident strides | The male lead walking in |
| 비틀비틀 | biteul-biteul | staggering | Drunk or injured characters |
| 휘청 | hwicheong | wobbling, about to fall | Legs giving way |
| 꾸벅 | kkubeok | a deep bow; nodding off | Greetings, or dozing in class |
| 끄덕끄덕 | kkeudeok-kkeudeok | nodding repeatedly | Agreeing without words |
| 데굴데굴 | degul-degul | rolling over and over | Rolling with laughter or embarrassment |
| 빙글빙글 | bingeul-bingeul | spinning round; a soft smile | Dizziness, twirling |
Looks and glances
Glances carry a lot of the story in romance webtoons, and Korean has a word for each kind.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 힐끔 | hilkkeum | a quick sideways glance | Stronger than 힐금 |
| 흘끗 | heulkkeut | a sidelong glance | Checking someone out discreetly |
| 두리번두리번 | duribeon-duribeon | looking around wide-eyed | Lost or searching |
| 빤히 | ppanhi | staring straight at | 빤히 보다, to stare |
| 멍하니 | meonghani | blankly, absent-mindedly | Spacing out |
Hearts, nerves and emotions
Many of these are 의태어 for feelings, written next to a character's face rather than as a sound.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 두근두근 | dugeun-dugeun | heart pounding | Nerves, fear or a crush |
| 콩닥콩닥 | kongdak-kongdak | heart going pit-a-pat | Lighter, cuter than 두근두근 |
| 깜짝 | kkamjjak | with a start | 깜짝이야! = you scared me! |
| 화들짝 | hwadeuljjak | jumping in surprise | A big, flustered start |
| 움찔 | umjjil | flinching | A sudden recoil |
| 흠칫 | heumchit | shrinking back in surprise | Caught off guard |
| 뜨끔 | tteukkeum | a pang (of guilt) | When someone touches a sore point |
| 부들부들 | budeul-budeul | trembling; also very soft | Shaking with anger |
| 덜덜 | deoldeol | shivering, shaking | Cold or fear; 덜덜 떨다 |
| 오싹 | ossak | a chill, goosebumps | Horror scenes |
| 울컥 | ulkeok | a surge of emotion | About to cry or snap |
| 뭉클 | mungkeul | a lump in the throat, moved | Touching moments |
| 버럭 | beoreok | flaring up, yelling | Sudden anger |
| 발끈 | balkkeun | flaring up over something small | Touchy characters |
| 화끈 | hwakkeun | a sudden flush of heat | Blushing with embarrassment or anger |
Crying and laughing
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 엉엉 | eong-eong | sobbing loudly | Big, open crying |
| 훌쩍 | huljjeok | sniffling; also a quick gulp or leap | Quiet crying |
| 흑흑 | heukeuk | sobbing, catching breath | Sad scenes |
| 글썽글썽 | geulsseong-geulsseong | eyes welling up | Just before tears fall |
| 킥킥 | kikkik | giggling, stifled laughter | Trying not to laugh |
| 깔깔 | kkal-kkal | laughing out loud | Big, cheerful laughter |
| 히죽 | hijuk | a satisfied grin | Someone pleased with themselves |
| 피식 | pisik | a short, half-hearted laugh | A wry smile, a scoff |
| 방긋 | banggeut | a bright, silent smile | Babies, sweet characters |
Eating, sleeping and everyday sounds
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 꿀꺽 | kkulkkeok | gulp | Swallowing; also swallowing your words |
| 냠냠 | nyam-nyam | yum yum, munching | Eating happily, often childlike |
| 쩝쩝 | jjeop-jjeop | smacking lips | Tasting, or disappointment |
| 후루룩 | hururuk | slurping | Noodles, ramyeon |
| 아삭 | asak | crunch of fresh fruit or vegetables | Apples, kimchi |
| 바삭 | basak | crisp crunch | Dry leaves, crispy snacks |
| 꼬르륵 | kkoreureuk | stomach rumbling | Hungry at the worst moment |
| 쿨쿨 | kul-kul | sound of deep sleep | Zzz |
| 드르렁 | deureureong | loud snoring | Dads on sofas |
| 똑똑 | ttok-ttok | knock knock; dripping | Knocking on a door |
| 딩동 | dingdong | ding-dong | Doorbells |
| 따르릉 | ttareureung | ring of a phone or alarm | Old-style phones, bicycle bells |
| 째깍째깍 | jjaekkak-jjaekkak | tick-tock | Clocks, deadlines |
| 덜컹 | deolkeong | clatter, jolt; a heart lurching | A door rattling, sudden fear |
| 벌컥 | beolkeok | suddenly, violently | Flying into a rage; doors flung open |
| 끼익 | kkiik | screech of brakes | A car stopping suddenly |
| 콜록콜록 | kollok-kollok | coughing | A cold |
| 에취 | echwi | achoo | Sneezing |
Weather, light and wind
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 반짝 | banjjak | a twinkle, a small flash | Sparkly eyes, a bright idea |
| 번쩍 | beonjjeok | a big flash | Lightning, a sudden realization |
| 쏴아 | sswaa | whoosh of rain or wind | Downpours, rushing water |
| 주룩주룩 | juruk-juruk | pouring, streaming | Heavy rain, tears |
| 부슬부슬 | buseul-buseul | drizzling softly | Light rain or snow |
| 쌩쌩 | ssaeng-ssaeng | whizzing, whistling wind | Cold wind, speeding cars |
| 펄럭 | peolleok | flapping | Flags, coats, capes |
Hugs, reveals and reactions
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 와락 | warak | suddenly, in a rush | A sudden hug |
| 꽉 | kkwak | tightly | Holding hands or hugging tight |
| 토닥토닥 | todak-todak | patting gently | Comforting someone |
| 짜잔 | jjajan | ta-da! | Revealing a surprise |
| 뿅 | ppyong | poof; being smitten | Appearing or vanishing; falling for someone |
| 헉 | heok | gasp | Shock |
Some webtoon effects aren't in the dictionary at all. 두둥 (dudung), a dramatic drumbeat for a big reveal or entrance, is one you'll see constantly. Treat these like the dictionary words: read the scene, and the panel tells you what they mean.
From sound word to verb
Sound words aren't only decoration. Add -거리다, -대다, -이다 or -하다 and many become everyday verbs, which is where they pay off outside comics.
| Sound word | Verb | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 두근두근 | 두근거리다 | dugeungeorida | for your heart to pound |
| 반짝 | 반짝이다 | banjjagida | to twinkle, sparkle |
| 끄덕끄덕 | 끄덕이다 | kkeudeogida | to nod |
| 쿵쾅 | 쿵쾅거리다 | kungkwanggeorida | to bang and thump repeatedly |
| 두리번두리번 | 두리번거리다 | duribeongeorida | to look around |
| 투덜투덜 | 투덜거리다 | tudeolgeorida | to grumble |
Some pair with a fixed verb instead: 덜덜 떨다 (to shiver), 빤히 보다 (to stare), 꽉 잡다 (to grip tightly), 활짝 웃다 (to beam). Learning them as pairs is more useful than learning the sound word alone.
How to learn sound effects from webtoons
- Don't look them up mid-episode. The art already shows the meaning. Stopping for every 휙 wrecks your reading flow.
- Learn them in batches. Go through one section of this glossary before you start a new genre: fights before an action series, hearts and glances before a romance.
- Watch for the verb forms. When 두근거렸다 appears in narration instead of 두근두근 in the art, that's the version you can use in your own sentences.
- Hear them. Dramas and variety shows use these words in speech and captions. Our guide to learning Korean from webtoons pairs reading with listening.
For the slang that appears next to these sound effects in comment sections and dialogue, see our guide to Korean internet slang for webtoon and K-drama fans.
Track your webtoon reading
Sound words are one of those things you pick up through volume, not drills. Log your reading sessions in LangTrack and you'll see the hours behind that volume. More Korean guides are on our Korean hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is Korean onomatopoeia called?
Sound-imitating words are called uiseongeo (의성어), and words that describe movement, appearance or feelings are called uitaeeo (의태어). Webtoons use both constantly.
What does 두근두근 mean?
두근두근 (dugeun-dugeun) is the sound or feeling of a heart pounding, from nerves, fear or excitement. In romance webtoons it usually means a crush. The verb form is 두근거리다.
What does 쾅 mean in webtoons?
쾅 (kwang) is a loud bang: a door slamming, a heavy impact or an explosion. It is a stronger, harsher version of 꽝.
Why do Korean sound words have so many similar versions?
Korean changes vowels and consonants to change the feeling. Bright vowels like ㅏ and ㅗ suggest something small and light, dark vowels like ㅓ and ㅜ something big and heavy, and tense or aspirated consonants make the word stronger.
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