10 Common English Mistakes Korean Speakers Make (and Easy Fixes)
By Mr. Jay, an English teacher in Korea
Korean is a beautiful, logical language, but it works very differently from English. When Korean speakers learn English, the same small mistakes show up again and again. That is not a sign of a weak student. It is a sign of a smart brain using the rules it already knows. Here are ten of the most common ones I see as an English teacher in Korea, with a simple fix for each.
1. Missing “a” and “the”
Korean has no articles, so sentences like “I bought new phone” feel complete. In English, a single countable noun almost always needs a helper word: a, the, my, this. Fix: when you write a singular noun, pause and ask, “Which one? Any one, or a specific one?” Any one → a. The one we both know → the. There is a full guide here: A, an, the for Korean speakers.
2. Forgetting plural -s
In Korean, plural markers are often optional (“사과 세 개” doesn’t need a plural ending). In English, “three apple” sounds wrong. Fix: numbers and words like many, several, and a lot of are alarm bells. When you see one, check for -s.
3. “I am agree”
Agree is already a verb, so it doesn’t need am. Say “I agree” or “I don’t agree.” The same thing happens with “I am go” or “She is like it.” Fix: be + adjective (“I am happy”), or a plain verb (“I agree”). Not both.
4. Mixing up he and she
Spoken Korean often uses names or leaves the subject out, so he and she are easy to swap in fast speech. It’s very common and people will still understand you. Fix: practice telling a short story about a friend out loud, and deliberately repeat he/his or she/her in every sentence.
5. Leaving out the subject
“Went to the store yesterday. Was very busy.” In Korean this is natural. In English, most sentences need a subject, even an empty one: “It was very busy.” Fix: every English sentence needs a “who” or “what” at the front. If there is no real one, use it or there.
6. “Fighting!” and other Konglish
Words like fighting (for “you can do it”), hand phone, eye shopping, and one-shot are Konglish. They sound like English but native speakers may not understand them. Fix: try You’ve got this!, cell phone, window shopping, and bottoms up. Konglish is fun, but it helps to know which version is which.
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Get the free weekly tip7. Word order in questions
“Where you are going?” keeps statement order. English questions usually flip the helper verb to the front: “Where are you going?” Fix: learn a few question “starters” as chunks: Where are you…? What do you…? How did you…?
8. “I’m so boring” vs “I’m so bored”
This one causes laughs. Bored is how you feel. Boring is what makes other people feel bored. “I’m boring” means you are a dull person! The same pattern works for interested/interesting, tired/tiring, and excited/exciting. Fix: -ed = my feeling, -ing = the cause.
9. Answering negative questions
“You didn’t eat lunch?” In Korean, “네” agrees with the question (“Right, I didn’t”). In English, “Yes” means “Yes, I did eat.” This creates real confusion. Fix: skip the yes/no and just give the full answer: “I didn’t eat yet” or “I did, thanks.”
10. L and R, P and F, B and V
Korean ㄹ sits between English L and R, and Korean has no F or V sound. So coffee may become “copy” and very may become “berry.” Fix: for F and V, gently put your top teeth on your bottom lip and push air. For R, curl your tongue back so it touches nothing. Practice with pairs like fan/pan, vest/best, light/right.
How to use this list
Don’t try to fix all ten at once. Pick one mistake this week. Notice it when you read, then notice it when you speak. After a week or two it becomes automatic, and you can move to the next one. That kind of small, steady change beats a big burst of studying that stops after three days.
And remember: people understand you even with these mistakes. Mistakes are proof that you are speaking. If you want some ways to practice on your own, read how to practice speaking a language alone.
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