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Making the PDF…
About this wongoji maker
Wongoji (원고지) is the Korean manuscript paper. It is a page of small squares in rows of 20. Each square holds one Hangul syllable, one space or one punctuation mark, so the number of squares you fill is the number of characters you wrote. Korean students use it for essays, diaries and 논술 tests, and learners use it to practise the writing part of the TOPIK test.
This tool makes wongoji you can print right away. Choose 200 or 400 squares, horizontal or vertical writing, and a colour. The lines are vector lines, so they print sharp.
Features
- 200 or 400 squares — 20 × 10 or 20 × 20 on one page
- Horizontal or vertical — rows from left to right (가로쓰기), or columns from right to left (세로쓰기)
- Space between the rows — a narrow strip for corrections, as on real wongoji
- Counting numbers — 5, 10, 15, 20 beside the rows, so 100 characters are easy to see
- Five styles — green, red-brown, blue, grey to save ink, or soft tinted squares
- Fold mark if you want it — the centre strip of the Japanese sheet, for a 400-square page
- US Letter or A4, up to 50 pages in one PDF
How to write on wongoji
These are the usual rules (원고지 사용법) taught in Korean schools:
- A new paragraph starts with one empty square (들여쓰기).
- Each syllable takes one square: 한, 국, 어 are three squares.
- A space between words takes one square. But do not leave a space in the first square of a line: if a word ends at the end of a line, start the next line in the first square.
- A period (.) and a comma (,) take one square each. Do not leave a space after them.
- A question mark (?) and an exclamation mark (!) take one square, and the square after them stays empty.
- Numbers and small Latin letters go two per square (20, 15). A capital letter takes a square alone.
- If a period comes after the last square of a line, write it in that last square together with the syllable, or just outside the box.
Square sizes
The squares are as big as the page allows. With the counting numbers on and the web address at the bottom:
| Sheet | US Letter | A4 |
|---|---|---|
| 400 squares, horizontal | 8.8 mm (portrait) | 8.9 mm (portrait) |
| 200 squares, horizontal | 12.3 mm (landscape) | 12.4 mm (landscape) |
| 400 squares, vertical | 8.7 mm (landscape) | 8.5 mm (landscape) |
| 200 squares, vertical | 11.9 mm (portrait) | 12.8 mm (portrait) |
200-square sheets have big squares. They are good for children and for the first weeks of practice.
Wongoji for the TOPIK writing test
The TOPIK II writing test has two long questions, and the answers are written in rows of squares like wongoji. Question 53 asks for 200 to 300 characters. Question 54 asks for 600 to 700 characters. Spaces count as characters.
| TOPIK question | Characters | 200-square pages | 400-square pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 200 to 300 | 1 to 2 | 1 |
| 54 | 600 to 700 | 3 to 4 | 2 |
Practise on a 400-square page. With the numbers every 5 rows, you see at once when you have 100, 200 or 300 characters.
Frequently asked questions
What does wongoji mean?
원고 (wongo) means manuscript, and 지 (ji) means paper. So 원고지 is "manuscript paper". Some people also write it wongo-ji.
Should I choose 200 or 400 squares?
200-square paper (20 × 10) is common in Korean schools and gives big squares. 400-square paper (20 × 20) holds twice as much on one page, and is good for long essays and TOPIK practice.
Do spaces count as characters?
Yes. On wongoji a space between words takes a square, so it counts. This is also how the TOPIK test counts the length of an answer.
Can I write vertically?
Yes. Set Writing direction to Vertical. The lines become columns, read from right to left. Most Korean writing today is horizontal, so horizontal is the default.
What is the narrow space between the rows for?
It is room for corrections. A teacher or you can write a small change above a word there. If you do not need it, turn it off under More options to make the squares a little bigger.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up and no watermark. The PDF is made in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
Good to know
- Print at Actual size or 100%, not "Fit to page".
- The page turns by itself to give the biggest squares: 400 horizontal squares print in portrait, 200 in landscape.
- Your settings are saved in this browser for your next visit.
Related tools
- Korean Keyboard — type Hangul online
- Your Name in Korean — write your name in Hangul
- Kanji Practice Sheet — tracing grids for Hangul syllables too
- Genkouyoushi — the Japanese manuscript paper
- Korean Age Calculator — your Korean ages from a birth date
- Printable Lined Paper — plain lined paper
How to use it
- Choose 200 or 400 squares per page
- Choose Horizontal or Vertical writing
- Pick a Style and the paper size, US Letter or A4
- Under More options, turn the space between the rows, the numbers or the title line on or off
- Click Download PDF or Print, and print at Actual size
