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Lesson 2 — Basic Korean Vowels (모음)

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Lesson 2 — Basic Korean Vowels (모음)

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📌 Key Points

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Korean has 10 basic vowels: ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅣ.

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Every Korean syllable must contain at least one vowel.

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Vowels can be vertical or horizontal.

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The vowels can be grouped into easy-to-remember families: ㅏ→ㅑ, ㅓ→ㅕ, ㅗ→ㅛ, ㅜ→ㅠ.t least one vowel.

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ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅣ are vertical vowels and are normally written to the right of the initial consonant.

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ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ are horizontal vowels and are normally written below the initial consonant.

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ㅏ is approximately pronounced a, while ㅑ is ya.

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ㅓ is commonly Romanized as eo, and ㅕ as yeo. These Romanizations represent single Korean vowel sounds and should not be read as separate English letters.

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ㅗ is approximately o, while ㅛ is yo.

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ㅜ is approximately like “oo”, while ㅠ is yu.

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ㅡ is Romanized as eu and has no exact English equivalent. It is pronounced with relatively relaxed, unrounded lips.

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ㅣ is approximately like “ee” in see.

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When a syllable begins with a vowel sound, silent ㅇ is used in the initial position: 아, 야, 어, 여, 오, 요, 우, 유, 으, 이.

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Learners should practice important sound contrasts such as 아–어, 어–오, 오–우, 우–으, and 으–이.

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Romanization is useful at the beginning, but learners should gradually learn to recognize and pronounce Hangul directly.

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Mastering the 10 basic vowels provides the foundation for learning Korean consonants, syllable blocks, compound vowels, and complete Korean words.

📈 Your Progress

Lesson 2 — Basic Korean Vowels (모음)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:

Understand what Korean vowels are.
Explain why vowels are essential in Hangul.
Recognize all the basic Korean vowels.
Read and write simple syllables using these vowels.
Develop accurate pronunciation through listening and speaking practice.

Introduction to Basic Korean Vowels

Welcome to your first practical Hangul lesson!

In the previous lesson, you learned that Hangul is made up of consonants (자음) and vowels (모음).

Now, you'll begin learning the actual Korean letters.

We'll start with vowels, because every Korean syllable must contain at least one vowel.

Mastering the vowels is the first major step toward reading and speaking Korean.

What Are Korean Vowels?

A vowel (모음) is a speech sound produced without blocking the airflow.

Just like English has vowels (A, E, I, O, U), Korean has its own vowel letters.

Examples include:

These ten letters are called the Basic Korean Vowels (기본 모음).

Everything you read in Korean is built using these vowels.

Why Are Vowels So Important?

Without vowels, Korean cannot form complete syllables.

For example:

Consonant only:

ㄱ

This is incomplete.

Add a vowel:

ㄱ + ㅏ = 가

Now it becomes a complete syllable.

This is why every Korean syllable must contain at least one vowel.

The 10 Basic Korean Vowels

You'll learn each of these step by step throughout this course.

Don't worry about memorizing all of them today.

Vertical vs Horizontal Vowels

One special feature of Hangul is that vowels are grouped by their writing direction.

Vertical Vowels

These are written to the right of the consonant.

Example:

ㄱ + ㅏ = 가

Horizontal Vowels

These are written below the consonant.

Example:

ㄱ + ㅗ = 고

This simple rule helps you build Korean syllables correctly.

Learning Tip 💡

Instead of trying to memorize all ten vowels in one day:

Learn one vowel.
Listen to its pronunciation.
Practice writing it.
Read simple syllables using it.
Review before learning the next vowel.

This approach is much more effective.

Did You Know?

The original Hangul vowels were inspired by three philosophical symbols:

• = Heaven
ㅡ = Earth
ㅣ = Human

These symbols represent harmony and balance, an important idea in traditional Korean philosophy.

Vocabulary

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Trying to learn all ten vowels at once.

✅ Learn them one by one and practice regularly.

❌ Confusing vertical and horizontal vowels.

✅ Remember:

Vertical vowels go to the right of the consonant.
Horizontal vowels go below the consonant.

❌ Depending only on Romanization.

✅ Practice reading the Hangul characters directly as early as possible.

Basic Vowel ㅏ (a)

Congratulations! 🎉

You are now going to learn your first Korean letter.

This letter is:

ㅏ

This is one of the most frequently used vowels in the Korean language. You will find it in hundreds of common Korean words.

Once you master ㅏ, you'll already be able to read many simple Korean syllables and words.

Take your time with this lesson. Focus on listening, repeating, reading, and writing rather than trying to memorize everything immediately.

Meet the Vowel ㅏ

Hangul Letter

ㅏ

Name

아 (a)

Approximate English Sound

It sounds similar to the "a" in:

father
spa
palm

It is an open vowel, produced by opening your mouth naturally without rounding your lips.

Important: The English sound is only an approximation. Always imitate the pronunciation of a native Korean speaker.

How to Pronounce ㅏ

Follow these steps:

Step 1

Open your mouth comfortably.

Step 2

Keep your lips relaxed.

Do not round your lips.

Step 3

Place your tongue naturally in the center and slightly low.

Step 4

Say:

아

Try to keep the sound short and clear.

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅏ:

✅ Mouth: Open
✅ Lips: Relaxed
✅ Tongue: Low and relaxed
✅ Jaw: Slightly lowered

Practice in front of a mirror if possible.

Watching your mouth position helps improve pronunciation.

How to Write ㅏ

The vowel ㅏ has two strokes.

Stroke 1

Draw a vertical line from top to bottom.

↓

Stroke 2

Add a short horizontal line from the middle of the vertical line toward the right.

→

Finished letter:

ㅏ

Stroke Order Matters

Always write:

Vertical line
Horizontal line

Writing the strokes in the correct order helps you develop neat handwriting and prepares you for writing more complex Hangul letters later.

Writing Practice

Practice writing ㅏ several times.

ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ ㅏ

Write slowly and neatly.

Focus on keeping:

The vertical line straight.
The short horizontal line centered.
Equal spacing between each letter.

Combining ㅏ with Consonants

Now let's make your first Korean syllables.

Consonant	+	Vowel	=	Syllable
ㄱ	+	ㅏ	=	가
ㄴ	+	ㅏ	=	나
ㄷ	+	ㅏ	=	다
ㄹ	+	ㅏ	=	라
ㅁ	+	ㅏ	=	마
ㅂ	+	ㅏ	=	바
ㅅ	+	ㅏ	=	사
ㅇ	+	ㅏ	=	아

Read each syllable aloud several times.

Simple Words Using ㅏ

Here are some beginner-friendly words containing ㅏ.

Don't worry about memorizing every word yet.

Just try to recognize the sound ㅏ.

Pronunciation Tips

✅ Keep your mouth open.

✅ Don't change ㅏ into the English "æ" sound (as in cat).

✅ Keep the sound natural and relaxed.

✅ Listen to native speakers often.

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Making ㅏ sound like the English "a" in cat.

✅ Pronounce it closer to the "a" in father.

❌ Rounding your lips.

✅ Keep your lips relaxed.

❌ Writing the horizontal stroke first.

✅ Always write:

Vertical line → Horizontal line

Practice reading each vowel slowly and clearly.

Pronunciation Tips

ㅏ sounds like “ah”

Basic Vowel ㅑ (ya)

You have already learned the vowel ㅏ (a).

Now you'll learn a very similar-looking vowel:

ㅑ

Compare them:

ㅏ → a
ㅑ → ya

Did you notice the difference in their shapes?

ㅏ has one short line.
ㅑ has two short lines.

That extra line changes the pronunciation from a to ya.

Meet the Vowel ㅑ

Hangul Letter

ㅑ

Sound

It sounds similar to "ya" in:

yard
yacht

However, English pronunciation is only an approximation. Learners should listen to native Korean audio and imitate the Korean sound directly.

Compare ㅏ and ㅑ

This is an important pattern to remember.

Vowel	Sound	Short Lines
ㅏ	a	1
ㅑ	ya	2

Compare:

아 → a

야 → ya

Listen carefully:

아 — 야

The additional y sound is the main difference.

How to Pronounce ㅑ

Step 1

Open your mouth naturally, similar to when pronouncing ㅏ.

Step 2

Keep your lips relaxed and unrounded.

Step 3

Begin with a short y sound.

Step 4

Move immediately into ㅏ.

Together:

y + a → ya

Say:

야

The movement should be smooth. Don't create a long pause between the two sounds.

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅑ:

Mouth: Open
Lips: Relaxed
Jaw: Slightly lowered
Tongue: Moves briefly into the y position before the open vowel
Sound: Smooth ya

Compare repeatedly:

아 — 야

This comparison is especially useful for beginners.

How to Write ㅑ

The vowel ㅑ has three strokes.

Stroke 1

Draw the long vertical line from top to bottom.

Stroke 2

Draw the upper short horizontal line toward the right.

Stroke 3

Draw the lower short horizontal line toward the right.

Finished letter:

ㅑ

The two short lines should be reasonably even and parallel.

Compare the Writing

ㅏ

One long vertical line + one short line:

ㅏ

ㅑ

One long vertical line + two short lines:

ㅑ

This visual pattern will appear again with other Korean vowels.

For example, later you'll discover:

ㅓ → ㅕ

ㅗ → ㅛ

ㅜ → ㅠ

Recognizing these patterns makes memorizing Hangul much easier.

Writing Practice

Trace first:

ㅑ ㅑ ㅑ ㅑ ㅑ

Then write independently:

ㅑ　ㅑ　ㅑ　ㅑ　ㅑ

Try another row:

ㅑ　ㅑ　ㅑ　ㅑ　ㅑ

While writing, say "ya" aloud.

Connecting the shape + sound + hand movement can help you remember the letter.

ㅑ Is a Vertical Vowel

Remember that Korean vowels can be vertical or horizontal.

ㅑ is a vertical vowel.

Therefore, when it combines with a consonant, it is placed on the right side.

For example:

ㄴ + ㅑ → 냐

Not above or below the consonant.

Combining ㅑ With Consonants

Let's practice.

Consonant	Vowel	Result	Approx. Sound
ㄱ	ㅑ	갸	gya
ㄴ	ㅑ	냐	nya
ㄷ	ㅑ	댜	dya
ㄹ	ㅑ	랴	rya
ㅁ	ㅑ	먀	mya
ㅂ	ㅑ	뱌	bya
ㅅ	ㅑ	샤	sya / sha
ㅇ	ㅑ	야	ya
ㅈ	ㅑ	쟈	jya
ㅎ	ㅑ	햐	hya

At this stage, learners do not need to memorize all these syllables as words.

The purpose is to practice combining a consonant with ㅑ.

Why Is ㅇ Used in 야?

You learned previously that a Korean syllable needs an initial consonant position.

But ㅑ begins directly with a vowel sound.

So Korean uses:

ㅇ

At the beginning of a syllable, ㅇ is silent.

Therefore:

ㅇ + ㅑ = 야

Pronunciation:

You do not pronounce it "ngya."

The ng sound of ㅇ occurs when ㅇ appears as a final consonant, not when it begins a syllable.

Useful Words Containing ㅑ

Unlike ㅏ, the vowel ㅑ appears in fewer very simple beginner words. It's better to learn real, useful vocabulary rather than inventing unnatural examples.

Some of these words contain consonants and final consonants you haven't formally studied yet. That's okay—use them mainly to recognize ㅑ inside real Korean words.

Find ㅑ in Real Words

Look carefully:

야구

Where is ㅑ?

👉 야

야채

Where is ㅑ?

👉 야

양말

Where is ㅑ?

👉 양

고양이

Where is ㅑ?

👉 양

Even when other letters are unfamiliar, you can already recognize ㅑ.

That's real progress in reading Hangul.

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1: Confusing ㅏ and ㅑ

Remember:

ㅏ = one short line = a

ㅑ = two short lines = ya

❌ Mistake 2: Pronouncing 야 as two separated sounds

Avoid:

y...a

Instead, pronounce it smoothly:

❌ Mistake 3: Pronouncing ㅇ in 야

Remember:

ㅇ + ㅑ = 야

The initial ㅇ is silent.

❌ Mistake 4: Writing ㅑ on the wrong side of a consonant

Because ㅑ is vertical, it goes to the right:

ㄴ + ㅑ = 냐

Pronunciation Tips

ㅑ sounds like “ya”

Basic Vowel ㅓ (eo)

You have learned two Korean vowels:

ㅏ → a
ㅑ → ya

Now you'll learn:

ㅓ

The vowel ㅓ is especially important because its pronunciation does not have a perfect equivalent in English.

For this reason, you should avoid depending too much on the Romanization "eo." The letters e + o do not mean that you should pronounce two separate sounds.

Instead, listen carefully to native Korean pronunciation and learn ㅓ as its own sound.

Meet the Vowel ㅓ

Hangul Letter

ㅓ

Romanization

Approximate Sound

The sound is somewhat similar to "uh" in some varieties of English, but this is only an approximation.

The best way to learn it is:

Listen → Repeat → Compare

When ㅓ appears with silent ㅇ:

ㅇ + ㅓ = 어

Listen to:

어

Don't Pronounce "eo" Literally

This is one of the most important things to understand.

The Romanization:

does not mean:

❌ "e-o"

❌ "ee-oh"

❌ two separate vowel sounds

It represents one Korean vowel sound:

ㅓ

Romanization is only a learning aid.

Your long-term goal should be to see:

ㅓ

and immediately recognize its Korean sound without thinking about the letters e-o.

How to Pronounce ㅓ

Follow these steps.

Step 1 — Relax Your Mouth

Open your mouth naturally.

You don't need to open it as widely as possible.

Step 2 — Keep Your Lips Unrounded

Do not push your lips forward as you would for a strong "o" sound.

Keep them relaxed.

Step 3 — Keep the Tongue Relaxed

The tongue sits relatively low and toward the back compared with ㅏ.

Step 4 — Produce One Clear Sound

Say:

어

Keep it short and natural.

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅓ:

Mouth: Moderately open
Lips: Relaxed and unrounded
Tongue: Relatively low/back
Jaw: Relaxed
Sound: One continuous vowel

A mouth-position animation would be especially useful here because learners often struggle to understand ㅓ from Romanization alone.

Compare ㅏ and ㅓ

These two vowels look very similar:

ㅏ

ㅓ

But look carefully at the direction of the short line.

Vowel	Short Line	Romanization
ㅏ	Right →	a
ㅓ	← Left	eo

An easy visual memory trick:

ㅏ → line points right

ㅓ ← line points left

Pronunciation Comparison

Listen carefully:

아 — 어

Again:

아 — 어

Now repeat:

아 — 어

Do not focus only on the spelling.

Focus on how the actual sounds differ.

How to Write ㅓ

The vowel ㅓ has two strokes.

Stroke 1

Draw the short horizontal stroke toward the right, ending where the vertical stroke will be.

Stroke 2

Draw the long vertical line from top to bottom.

Finished letter:

ㅓ

Pay attention to the position of the short line:

ㅏ → short line on the right

ㅓ → short line on the left

Writing Practice ✍️

Trace:

ㅓ　ㅓ　ㅓ　ㅓ　ㅓ

Now copy:

ㅓ　_____　_____　_____　_____

Write another row independently:

_____　_____　_____　_____　_____

Say 어 while writing each letter.

ㅓ Is a Vertical Vowel

Like ㅏ and ㅑ, ㅓ is a vertical vowel.

Therefore, it is placed to the right of the consonant inside a syllable block.

Example:

ㄴ + ㅓ = 너

The consonant goes on the left and the vowel goes on the right.

Combining ㅓ With Consonants

Let's practice building syllables.

Consonant	+ ㅓ	Result	Approx. Reading
ㄱ	ㅓ	거	geo
ㄴ	ㅓ	너	neo
ㄷ	ㅓ	더	deo
ㄹ	ㅓ	러	reo
ㅁ	ㅓ	머	meo
ㅂ	ㅓ	버	beo
ㅅ	ㅓ	서	seo
ㅇ	ㅓ	어	eo
ㅈ	ㅓ	저	jeo
ㅎ	ㅓ	허	heo

Again, Romanization is only there to help beginners.

Encourage learners to look at:

거 너 더 러 머 버 서 어 저 허

rather than depending on:

geo, neo, deo...

Why Is ㅇ Used in 어?

A Korean syllable cannot visually begin with only a vowel.

Therefore, when ㅓ begins a syllable, we add:

ㅇ

At the beginning of the syllable, ㅇ is silent.

So:

ㅇ + ㅓ = 어

You hear only the vowel ㅓ.

ㅏ, ㅑ and ㅓ Review

You now know three vowels:

Letter	Sound
ㅏ	a
ㅑ	ya
ㅓ	eo

Try:

아 — 야 — 어

Again:

아 — 야 — 어

Then:

가 — 갸 — 거

나 — 냐 — 너

마 — 먀 — 머

This helps learners review old vowels while learning the new one.

Useful Words Containing ㅓ

Some of these words contain letters that learners haven't formally studied yet.

That's fine.

At this stage, the goal is to find and recognize ㅓ inside real Korean words.

Find ㅓ 👀

Look at:

어머니

Where is ㅓ?

👉 어

Look at:

머리

Where is ㅓ?

👉 머

Look at:

버스

Where is ㅓ?

👉 버

Look at:

서울

Can you find ㅓ?

👉 서

The learner doesn't need to understand every letter yet. They only need to recognize the vowel they have learned.

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1 — Reading "eo" as two sounds

Do not pronounce:

e + o

Remember:

ㅓ represents one vowel sound.

❌ Mistake 2 — Confusing ㅏ and ㅓ

Remember the visual difference:

ㅏ → short line on the right

ㅓ ← short line on the left

❌ Mistake 3 — Rounding the Lips Too Much

Don't pronounce ㅓ like a strongly rounded 오.

Keep your lips relatively relaxed and unrounded.

❌ Mistake 4 — Depending on Romanization

Seeing:

너

and mentally spelling:

n-e-o

will eventually slow down your reading.

Train yourself to recognize:

너

as one syllable directly.

Pronunciation Tips

ㅓ sounds like “eo”

Basic Vowel ㅕ (yeo)

You have now learned three Korean vowels:

ㅏ → a
ㅑ → ya
ㅓ → eo

Now you'll learn:

ㅕ

The relationship between ㅓ and ㅕ follows the same pattern you saw with ㅏ and ㅑ:

ㅏ → ㅑ = a → ya
ㅓ → ㅕ = eo → yeo

Look carefully:

ㅓ has one short horizontal stroke.

ㅕ has two short horizontal strokes.

That extra stroke adds a y-like beginning to the vowel.

Meet the Vowel ㅕ

Hangul Letter

ㅕ

Romanization

yeo

Approximate Sound

yeo

It can be thought of as beginning with a y sound followed immediately by ㅓ.

y + ㅓ → ㅕ

When combined with silent ㅇ:

ㅇ + ㅕ = 여

Listen carefully to native pronunciation:

여

Don't pronounce the Romanization as separate English sounds such as "yee-oh." ㅕ is one smooth Korean vowel.

Compare ㅓ and ㅕ

Vowel	Short Strokes	Romanization
ㅓ	1	eo
ㅕ	2	yeo

Compare:

어 — 여

eo — yeo

The second vowel begins with a brief y-like glide.

A Pattern You Already Know

You can now see an important Hangul pattern:

Basic Sound	Y-Sound
ㅏ	ㅑ
ㅓ	ㅕ
a	ya
eo	yeo

So instead of treating every vowel as a completely unrelated symbol, learners can recognize families of vowels.

This makes Hangul much easier to remember.

Later, you'll discover the same idea with:

ㅗ → ㅛ

ㅜ → ㅠ

How to Pronounce ㅕ

Step 1 — Start With a Light Y Sound

Begin with a brief y-like movement.

Step 2 — Move Immediately Into ㅓ

Don't stop between the two parts.

Avoid:

❌ y...eo

Instead:

✅ yeo

Step 3 — Keep Your Lips Relaxed

Your lips should remain relatively unrounded.

Step 4 — Say 여 Naturally

Practice:

여

Again:

여

Then compare:

어 — 여

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅕ:

Mouth: Moderately open
Lips: Relaxed and unrounded
Jaw: Relaxed
Tongue: Begins with a brief y-like glide and moves into the ㅓ position
Sound: Smooth and continuous

The difference between ㅓ and ㅕ should come primarily from the added y-like beginning, not from exaggerating the mouth movement.

How to Write ㅕ

The vowel ㅕ has three strokes.

Stroke 1

Draw the upper short horizontal stroke toward the right.

Stroke 2

Draw the lower short horizontal stroke toward the right.

Stroke 3

Draw the long vertical line from top to bottom.

Finished letter:

ㅕ

Notice that both short strokes appear on the left side of the long vertical line.

Compare the Shapes

ㅓ

One short stroke on the left:

ㅓ

ㅕ

Two short strokes on the left:

ㅕ

Remember:

One short stroke → eo

Two short strokes → yeo

Writing Practice ✍️

Trace:

ㅕ　ㅕ　ㅕ　ㅕ　ㅕ

Now copy:

ㅕ　_____　_____　_____　_____

Write independently:

_____　_____　_____　_____　_____

As you write each letter, say:

여

This connects the shape, movement, and sound in your memory.

ㅕ Is a Vertical Vowel

Like:

ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ

the vowel ㅕ is vertical.

Therefore, it goes to the right side of the initial consonant.

Example:

ㄴ + ㅕ = 녀

The consonant is on the left, and ㅕ is on the right.

Combining ㅕ With Consonants

Consonant	+ ㅕ	Result	Approx. Reading
ㄱ	ㅕ	겨	gyeo
ㄴ	ㅕ	녀	nyeo
ㄷ	ㅕ	뎌	dyeo
ㄹ	ㅕ	려	ryeo
ㅁ	ㅕ	며	myeo
ㅂ	ㅕ	벼	byeo
ㅅ	ㅕ	셔	syeo
ㅇ	ㅕ	여	yeo
ㅈ	ㅕ	져	jyeo
ㅎ	ㅕ	혀	hyeo

The purpose is reading practice, not memorizing every combination as vocabulary.

Why Is ㅇ Used in 여?

Because the syllable begins with a vowel sound, Korean places silent ㅇ in the initial consonant position.

ㅇ + ㅕ = 여

At the beginning:

ㅇ = silent

Therefore:

여 = yeo

Do not pronounce:

❌ ngyeo

Four-Vowel Review

You now know:

Vowel	Approx. Sound
ㅏ	a
ㅑ	ya
ㅓ	eo
ㅕ	yeo

Notice the pattern:

Family 1

ㅏ → ㅑ

a → ya

Family 2

ㅓ → ㅕ

eo → yeo

This pattern is much easier to remember than memorizing four unrelated letters.

Useful Words Containing ㅕ

Some words contain letters and final consonants learners haven't studied yet. That's fine—the goal here is to recognize ㅕ inside authentic Korean vocabulary.

Find ㅕ 👀

Look at:

여자

Where is ㅕ?

👉 여

Look at:

여름

👉 여

Look at:

영화

The first syllable 영 contains:

👉 ㅕ

Look at:

혀

Which vowel can you see?

👉 ㅕ

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1 — Confusing ㅓ and ㅕ

Remember:

ㅓ = one short stroke

ㅕ = two short strokes

❌ Mistake 2 — Pronouncing "yeo" as "yee-oh"

Romanization can be misleading.

ㅕ represents one smooth vowel sound.

Listen to native pronunciation instead of reading the Romanization literally.

❌ Mistake 3 — Forgetting the Y-Like Beginning

Compare:

어 → 여

The ㅕ sound begins with a brief y-like glide.

❌ Mistake 4 — Pronouncing ㅇ in 여

Initial ㅇ is silent.

Therefore:

여, not "ngyeo."

Pronunciation Tips

ㅕ sounds like “yeo”

Basic Vowel ㅗ (o)

You have already learned the vertical vowels:

ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ

Now you will begin learning the horizontal vowels, starting with:

ㅗ

This vowel is important because it introduces a new syllable layout. Instead of appearing to the right of the consonant, ㅗ is written underneath it.

So this section will teach both the sound of ㅗ and the new way Hangul blocks are formed with horizontal vowels.

Meet the Vowel ㅗ

Hangul Letter

ㅗ

Romanization

Approximate Sound

It sounds similar to the "o" in words such as:

go
hope
home

However, Korean ㅗ is usually a cleaner and shorter vowel than the English diphthong heard in many accents.

The best approach is to listen to native pronunciation and imitate:

오

How to Pronounce ㅗ

Step 1 — Round Your Lips

Bring your lips forward gently.

They should form a small rounded shape.

Step 2 — Keep Your Mouth Relatively Narrow

Unlike ㅏ, you do not open your mouth widely.

Step 3 — Keep the Tongue Toward the Back

The tongue is positioned higher and farther back than for ㅏ or ㅓ.

Step 4 — Produce a Clear Sound

Say:

오

Keep the sound smooth and steady.

Avoid exaggerating it into a long English-style:

❌ "ou"

Instead:

✅ 오

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅗ:

Lips: Rounded
Jaw: Slightly open
Tongue: High and toward the back
Mouth opening: Relatively small
Sound: Clear and steady

A mouth-position image is especially useful here because learners should immediately notice the contrast between the unrounded ㅓ and rounded ㅗ.

Compare ㅓ and ㅗ

These two vowels are often confusing for beginners.

ㅓ

어

Lips relatively relaxed
Unrounded
Romanized eo

ㅗ

오

Lips rounded
Romanized o

Listen:

어 — 오

Again:

어 — 오

This contrast should be practiced repeatedly.

How to Write ㅗ

The vowel ㅗ has two strokes.

Stroke 1

Draw the long horizontal line from left to right.

Stroke 2

Draw a short vertical stroke upward from the center of the horizontal line.

Finished letter:

ㅗ

An easy memory clue:

The short stroke of ㅗ points UP.

Writing Practice ✍️

Trace:

ㅗ　ㅗ　ㅗ　ㅗ　ㅗ

Now copy:

ㅗ　_____　_____　_____　_____

Write independently:

_____　_____　_____　_____　_____

Try to keep the short vertical stroke close to the center of the horizontal line.

ㅗ Is a Horizontal Vowel

This is very important.

Because ㅗ is horizontal, it is positioned below the initial consonant.

Example:

ㄱ + ㅗ = 고

The layout is:

ㄱ
over
ㅗ

Together:

고

Compare that with a vertical vowel:

ㄱ + ㅏ = 가

So:

Vertical vowel → goes to the right
Horizontal vowel → goes below

Combining ㅗ With Consonants

Consonant	+ ㅗ	Result	Approx. Reading
ㄱ	ㅗ	고	go
ㄴ	ㅗ	노	no
ㄷ	ㅗ	도	do
ㄹ	ㅗ	로	ro
ㅁ	ㅗ	모	mo
ㅂ	ㅗ	보	bo
ㅅ	ㅗ	소	so
ㅇ	ㅗ	오	o
ㅈ	ㅗ	조	jo
ㅎ	ㅗ	호	ho

These syllables are excellent reading practice.

Why Is ㅇ Used in 오?

If a Korean syllable starts directly with a vowel sound, it needs ㅇ in the initial consonant position.

At the beginning of a syllable:

ㅇ is silent.

So:

ㅇ + ㅗ = 오

Pronunciation:

Compare Vertical and Horizontal Blocks

Look carefully:

가

The vowel ㅏ is to the right.

Now:

고

The vowel ㅗ is below.

Compare:

나 — 노

다 — 도

마 — 모

사 — 소

This is an important transition in Hangul reading.

Five-Vowel Review

You now know:

ㅏ　ㅑ　ㅓ　ㅕ　ㅗ

Try reading:

아 — 야 — 어 — 여 — 오

Then:

가 — 갸 — 거 — 겨 — 고

Then:

나 — 냐 — 너 — 녀 — 노

This builds cumulative recognition instead of studying each vowel in isolation.

Useful Words Containing ㅗ

Some words contain letters learners have not studied yet. At this point, the goal is mainly to recognize ㅗ inside real Korean words.

Find ㅗ 👀

Look at:

오이

Where is ㅗ?

👉 오

Look at:

모자

Where is ㅗ?

👉 모

Look at:

고기

Where is ㅗ?

👉 고

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1 — Confusing ㅗ and ㅜ

Remember:

ㅗ = short stroke UP

ㅜ = short stroke DOWN

❌ Mistake 2 — Confusing ㅗ and ㅓ

Their shapes and positions are completely different:

ㅓ = vertical

ㅗ = horizontal

Their pronunciation also differs:

어 — 오

❌ Mistake 3 — Putting ㅗ Beside the Consonant

Incorrect idea:

ㄱ + ㅗ side by side.

Correct:

ㅗ goes below ㄱ

Result:

고

❌ Mistake 4 — Pronouncing ㅗ Like a Long English "oh"

Korean ㅗ should be relatively clean and steady.

Avoid adding a strong second vowel sound.

Pronunciation Tips

ㅗ sounds like “oh”

Basic Vowel ㅛ (yo)

You have already learned:

ㅗ → o

Now you will learn its y-sound partner:

ㅛ

The relationship is simple:

ㅗ → ㅛ

o → yo

Just as:

ㅏ → ㅑ

and:

ㅓ → ㅕ

adding one extra short stroke creates a y-like sound.

Meet the Vowel ㅛ

Hangul Letter

ㅛ

Romanization

Approximate Sound

It sounds similar to "yo" in English words such as:

yoga
yodel

But Korean ㅛ is usually shorter and cleaner.

When combined with silent ㅇ:

ㅇ + ㅛ = 요

Pronunciation:

Compare ㅗ and ㅛ

Vowel	Short Upward Strokes	Sound
ㅗ	1	o
ㅛ	2	yo

Compare:

오 — 요

The extra short stroke adds the y-like beginning.

A Familiar Hangul Pattern

You have now seen three vowel families:

ㅏ → ㅑ

ㅓ → ㅕ

ㅗ → ㅛ

This is an important pattern in Hangul.

Instead of memorizing each vowel as completely separate, learners can recognize how related vowels are built.

Later, you will see:

ㅜ → ㅠ

How to Pronounce ㅛ

Step 1

Begin with a light y sound.

Step 2

Move immediately into the ㅗ sound.

Step 3

Round your lips as you pronounce the vowel.

Step 4

Say:

요

Keep it smooth.

Avoid separating it into:

❌ y...o

Instead:

✅ yo

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅛ:

Lips: Rounded
Jaw: Slightly open
Tongue: Moves briefly through a y-position, then toward the ㅗ position
Sound: Smooth and continuous

Compare:

오 — 요

The main difference is the added y-like beginning.

How to Write ㅛ

The vowel ㅛ has three strokes.

Stroke 1

Draw the long horizontal line from left to right.

Stroke 2

Draw the first short vertical stroke upward.

Stroke 3

Draw the second short vertical stroke upward.

Finished letter:

ㅛ

Remember:

ㅗ = one short upward stroke

ㅛ = two short upward strokes

Writing Practice ✍️

Trace:

ㅛ　ㅛ　ㅛ　ㅛ　ㅛ

Now copy:

ㅛ　_____　_____　_____　_____

Then write independently:

_____　_____　_____　_____　_____

Try to keep the two short vertical strokes evenly spaced.

ㅛ Is a Horizontal Vowel

Because ㅛ is a horizontal vowel, it is placed below the consonant.

Example:

ㄱ + ㅛ = 교

The consonant goes on top.

The vowel goes below.

This follows the same rule as ㅗ.

Combining ㅛ With Consonants

Consonant	+ ㅛ	Result	Approx. Reading
ㄱ	ㅛ	교	gyo
ㄴ	ㅛ	뇨	nyo
ㄷ	ㅛ	됴	dyo
ㄹ	ㅛ	료	ryo
ㅁ	ㅛ	묘	myo
ㅂ	ㅛ	뵤	byo
ㅅ	ㅛ	쇼	syo / sho
ㅇ	ㅛ	요	yo
ㅈ	ㅛ	죠	jyo
ㅎ	ㅛ	효	hyo

These combinations are mainly for reading practice.

Why Is ㅇ Used in 요?

The syllable begins with a vowel sound.

So Korean uses silent ㅇ in the initial consonant position:

ㅇ + ㅛ = 요

At the beginning:

ㅇ = silent

So the pronunciation is simply:

Six-Vowel Review

You now know:

ㅏ　ㅑ　ㅓ　ㅕ　ㅗ　ㅛ

Try:

아 — 야 — 어 — 여 — 오 — 요

Then:

가 — 갸 — 거 — 겨 — 고 — 교

This cumulative practice is very useful.

Useful Words Containing ㅛ

Some of these words contain letters learners have not formally studied yet. The goal here is to identify ㅛ inside real words.

Find ㅛ 👀

Look at:

요리

Where is ㅛ?

👉 요

Look at:

교실

Where is ㅛ?

👉 교

Look at:

필요

Where is ㅛ?

👉 요

Look at:

학교

Which y-vowel do you see?

👉 ㅛ inside 교

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1 — Confusing ㅗ and ㅛ

Remember:

ㅗ = one upward stroke

ㅛ = two upward strokes

❌ Mistake 2 — Forgetting the Y-Like Beginning

Compare:

오 — 요

❌ Mistake 3 — Writing ㅛ to the Right of the Consonant

Because ㅛ is horizontal, it belongs below the consonant.

❌ Mistake 4 — Pronouncing Initial ㅇ

In 요, ㅇ is silent.

Pronunciation Tips

ㅛ sounds like “yo”

Basic Vowel ㅜ (u)

You have learned:

ㅗ → o
ㅛ → yo

Now you will learn another very important horizontal vowel:

ㅜ

The vowel ㅜ looks similar to ㅗ, but its short stroke points in the opposite direction.

Compare:

ㅗ → short stroke points UP

ㅜ → short stroke points DOWN

This simple visual difference is extremely important because ㅗ and ㅜ represent different sounds.

Meet the Vowel ㅜ

Hangul Letter

ㅜ

Romanization

Approximate Sound

Korean ㅜ sounds similar to "oo" in:

moon
food
school

However, these are only approximations.

When the vowel appears by itself as a syllable:

ㅇ + ㅜ = 우

Listen to the native pronunciation:

우

Romanization uses u, but English speakers should not pronounce it like the "u" in cup. Korean ㅜ is much closer to "oo."

How to Pronounce ㅜ

Step 1 — Round Your Lips

Push your lips slightly forward.

Your lips should form a small rounded opening.

Step 2 — Keep the Mouth Opening Small

Unlike ㅏ, you don't need to open your mouth widely.

Step 3 — Raise the Back of Your Tongue

The tongue is positioned relatively high and toward the back of the mouth.

Step 4 — Produce a Clear, Steady Sound

Say:

우

Try:

우 — 우 — 우

Avoid adding extra sounds before or after it.

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅜ:

Lips: Rounded and slightly protruded
Mouth: Small opening
Jaw: Relaxed
Tongue: High and toward the back
Sound: Clear and steady

Your lips are generally more tightly rounded for ㅜ than for ㅗ.

Compare ㅗ and ㅜ

This is one of the most important comparisons for beginners.

Vowel	Direction	Approx. Sound
ㅗ	Short stroke ↑	o
ㅜ	Short stroke ↓	u / "oo"

Look:

ㅗ ↕ ㅜ

The shapes are almost mirror images vertically.

Pronunciation Comparison

Listen carefully:

오 — 우

Again:

오 — 우

Now repeat:

오 — 우

Notice both sounds use rounded lips, but the tongue and lip positions differ.

Don't rely only on English approximations. Listen repeatedly to native Korean audio.

Easy Memory Trick

Think about the direction of the short stroke:

ㅗ

Short stroke points:

⬆️ UP

ㅜ

Short stroke points:

⬇️ DOWN

So when you see:

ㅗ → think UP

ㅜ → think DOWN

This will help prevent one of the most common beginner mistakes.

How to Write ㅜ

The vowel ㅜ has two strokes.

Stroke 1

Draw the long horizontal line from:

left → right

Stroke 2

Draw the short vertical line downward from the center.

Finished:

ㅜ

Compare:

ㅗ → short line goes upward.

ㅜ → short line goes downward.

Writing Practice ✍️

Trace:

ㅜ　ㅜ　ㅜ　ㅜ　ㅜ

Now copy:

ㅜ　_____　_____　_____　_____

Then write independently:

_____　_____　_____　_____　_____

While writing, say:

우

This connects the letter's shape, movement, and sound.

ㅜ Is a Horizontal Vowel

Like ㅗ and ㅛ, the vowel ㅜ is horizontal.

Therefore, it goes:

Below the initial consonant

Example:

ㄱ + ㅜ = 구

The consonant ㄱ appears above.

The vowel ㅜ appears below.

Together they form one square-shaped syllable:

구

Compare Vertical and Horizontal Placement

Vertical Vowel

ㄱ + ㅏ = 가

The vowel appears on the right.

Horizontal Vowel

ㄱ + ㅜ = 구

The vowel appears below.

Compare visually:

가　구

This reinforces an important Hangul writing rule.

Combining ㅜ With Consonants

Let's practice.

Consonant	+ ㅜ	Result	Approx. Reading
ㄱ	ㅜ	구	gu
ㄴ	ㅜ	누	nu
ㄷ	ㅜ	두	du
ㄹ	ㅜ	루	ru
ㅁ	ㅜ	무	mu
ㅂ	ㅜ	부	bu
ㅅ	ㅜ	수	su
ㅇ	ㅜ	우	u
ㅈ	ㅜ	주	ju
ㅎ	ㅜ	후	hu

Again, these are primarily reading exercises. Learners don't need to memorize them as vocabulary.

Why is ㅇ Used in 우?

You have seen this rule several times.

When a syllable starts directly with a vowel sound, Korean uses:

ㅇ

in the initial consonant position.

At the beginning:

ㅇ = silent

Therefore:

ㅇ + ㅜ = 우

Pronunciation:

u / oo

Not:

❌ ngu

Seven-Vowel Review

You now know:

ㅏ　ㅑ　ㅓ　ㅕ　ㅗ　ㅛ　ㅜ

Read:

아 — 야 — 어 — 여 — 오 — 요 — 우

Now with ㄱ:

가 — 갸 — 거 — 겨 — 고 — 교 — 구

Then with ㄴ:

나 — 냐 — 너 — 녀 — 노 — 뇨 — 누

This cumulative practice is important because learners need to retain earlier vowels while adding new ones.

Useful Words Containing ㅜ

Here are real Korean words containing ㅜ:

Some of these contain final consonants or letters learners haven't formally studied yet.

That's okay.

The goal here is to find and recognize ㅜ inside real Korean vocabulary.

Find ㅜ 👀

우유

Find ㅜ.

👉 우

구두

Where does ㅜ appear?

👉 구

👉 두

Both syllables contain ㅜ.

두부

Where is ㅜ?

👉 두

👉 부

Again, both syllables contain ㅜ.

친구

Look at the final syllable:

구

It contains:

👉 ㅜ

Important Observation: 우유

Look at:

우유

This word means milk.

The first syllable:

우

contains ㅜ.

But the second syllable:

유

contains ㅠ.

So:

우 = ㅜ

유 = ㅠ

You'll learn ㅠ in the next section.

This makes 우유 an excellent word for comparing the two vowels.

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1 — Confusing ㅗ and ㅜ

This is probably the most common mistake in this section.

Remember:

ㅗ = UP ↑

ㅜ = DOWN ↓

❌ Mistake 2 — Pronouncing ㅜ Like the English "u" in Cup

Romanization can be misleading.

Korean ㅜ is much closer to:

"oo"

than the vowel in English cup.

❌ Mistake 3 — Not Rounding the Lips

Your lips should be rounded when producing ㅜ.

❌ Mistake 4 — Putting ㅜ Beside the Consonant

Because ㅜ is horizontal, it belongs below the consonant.

Correct:

ㄱ + ㅜ = 구

❌ Mistake 5 — Pronouncing ㅇ in 우

Initial ㅇ is silent.

So:

우

not:

"ngu"

Pronunciation Tips

ㅜ sounds like “u”

Basic Vowel ㅠ (yu)

You have just learned:

ㅜ → u

Now you will learn its y-sound partner:

ㅠ

The relationship is easy to recognize:

ㅜ → ㅠ

u → yu

Look carefully:

ㅜ has one short downward stroke.

ㅠ has two short downward strokes.

This is the same pattern you have already seen:

ㅏ → ㅑ
ㅓ → ㅕ
ㅗ → ㅛ
ㅜ → ㅠ

Once you understand this pattern, Hangul vowels become much easier to remember.

Meet the Vowel ㅠ

Hangul Letter

ㅠ

Romanization

Approximate Sound

It sounds similar to "you" in English.

When written as a complete syllable:

ㅇ + ㅠ = 유

Listen:

유

The pronunciation begins with a light y-like sound and moves smoothly into ㅜ.

Think:

y + ㅜ → ㅠ

But don't pronounce them as two separate sounds.

Compare ㅜ and ㅠ

Vowel	Short Downward Strokes	Sound
ㅜ	1	u
ㅠ	2	yu

Compare:

우 — 유

Again:

우 — 유

The main difference is the y-like beginning of ㅠ.

The Four Y-Vowel Families

You have now learned all four basic y-vowel relationships:

Basic Vowel	Y-Vowel
ㅏ	ㅑ
ㅓ	ㅕ
ㅗ	ㅛ
ㅜ	ㅠ
a	ya
eo	yeo
o	yo
u	yu

This is an important Hangul pattern.

One short stroke

ㅏ　ㅓ　ㅗ　ㅜ

Two short strokes

ㅑ　ㅕ　ㅛ　ㅠ

The second short stroke generally indicates the corresponding y-vowel in these basic vowel families.

Shape Families

Look at the directions too:

Right

ㅏ → ㅑ

Left

ㅓ → ㅕ

Up

ㅗ → ㅛ

Down

ㅜ → ㅠ

This gives learners a very logical way to organize eight of the ten basic vowels.

How to Pronounce ㅠ

Step 1 — Begin With a Light Y Sound

Start with a brief y-like glide.

Step 2 — Move Immediately Into ㅜ

Don't stop between the sounds.

Step 3 — Round Your Lips

Your lips should become rounded as you produce the u portion.

Step 4 — Say

유

Practice:

유 — 유 — 유

Keep the sound smooth.

Avoid:

❌ y...u

Instead:

✅ yu

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅠ:

Lips: Rounded
Mouth opening: Small
Jaw: Relaxed
Tongue: Moves from a brief y-position into the high/back ㅜ position
Sound: Smooth and continuous

Compare:

우 — 유

Both end with a rounded vowel, but 유 begins with the y-like glide.

How to Write ㅠ

The vowel ㅠ has three strokes.

Stroke 1

Draw the long horizontal line:

left → right

Stroke 2

Draw the first short vertical stroke downward.

Stroke 3

Draw the second short vertical stroke downward.

Finished:

ㅠ

Remember:

ㅜ = one downward stroke

ㅠ = two downward strokes

Writing Practice ✍️

Trace:

ㅠ　ㅠ　ㅠ　ㅠ　ㅠ

Now copy:

ㅠ　_____　_____　_____　_____

Then write independently:

_____　_____　_____　_____　_____

Try to make the two downward strokes:

Similar in length
Evenly spaced
Straight

Say 유 while writing each one.

ㅠ Is a Horizontal Vowel

Because ㅠ is horizontal, it goes below the initial consonant.

Example:

ㄱ + ㅠ = 규

The consonant appears above.

The vowel appears below.

Together:

규

Compare:

기 → vertical vowel ㅣ

규 → horizontal vowel ㅠ

Combining ㅠ With Consonants

Consonant	+ ㅠ	Result	Approx. Reading
ㄱ	ㅠ	규	gyu
ㄴ	ㅠ	뉴	nyu
ㄷ	ㅠ	듀	dyu
ㄹ	ㅠ	류	ryu
ㅁ	ㅠ	뮤	myu
ㅂ	ㅠ	뷰	byu
ㅅ	ㅠ	슈	syu / shu
ㅇ	ㅠ	유	yu
ㅈ	ㅠ	쥬	jyu
ㅎ	ㅠ	휴	hyu

These combinations are mainly for reading and pronunciation practice.

They do not all need to be memorized as vocabulary.

Why Is ㅇ Used in 유?

As with:

아, 야, 어, 여, 오, 요, 우

a syllable beginning directly with a vowel sound needs ㅇ in its initial position.

Therefore:

ㅇ + ㅠ = 유

Initial:

ㅇ = silent

So:

유 = yu

Not:

❌ ngyu

ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ Review

You now know the two main horizontal vowel families:

Upward

ㅗ → ㅛ

o → yo

Downward

ㅜ → ㅠ

u → yu

Read:

오 — 요 — 우 — 유

Again:

오 — 요 — 우 — 유

Now with ㄱ:

고 — 교 — 구 — 규

With ㄴ:

노 — 뇨 — 누 — 뉴

With ㅁ:

모 — 묘 — 무 — 뮤

This is excellent cumulative practice.

Eight-Vowel Review

You have now learned:

ㅏ　ㅑ　ㅓ　ㅕ　ㅗ　ㅛ　ㅜ　ㅠ

Only two basic vowels remain:

ㅡ　ㅣ

Read all eight:

아 — 야 — 어 — 여 — 오 — 요 — 우 — 유

Then try in a mixed order:

유 — 어 — 오 — 야 — 우 — 여 — 아 — 요

Mixed-order practice tests real recognition better than memorizing a fixed sequence.

Useful Words Containing ㅠ

Some contain letters or final consonants that haven't been formally taught yet.

At this stage, learners should focus primarily on finding and recognizing ㅠ.

Find ㅠ 👀

우유

Look carefully:

우 + 유

The first syllable contains:

ㅜ

The second syllable contains:

ㅠ

So:

우 → ㅜ

유 → ㅠ

This makes 우유 one of the best vocabulary examples for comparing these two vowels.

유리

Where is ㅠ?

👉 유

휴가

Where is ㅠ?

👉 휴

뉴스

Where is ㅠ?

👉 뉴

메뉴

Where is ㅠ?

👉 뉴

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1 — Confusing ㅜ and ㅠ

Remember:

ㅜ = one downward stroke

ㅠ = two downward strokes

❌ Mistake 2 — Confusing ㅛ and ㅠ

Both have two short strokes.

But:

ㅛ = UP ↑

ㅠ = DOWN ↓

❌ Mistake 3 — Forgetting the Y-Like Beginning

Compare:

우 — 유

The second sound begins with a light y-like glide.

❌ Mistake 4 — Writing ㅠ Beside the Consonant

Because ㅠ is horizontal, it goes below the consonant.

Correct:

ㄱ + ㅠ = 규

❌ Mistake 5 — Pronouncing Initial ㅇ

Initial ㅇ is silent.

Therefore:

유

not:

"ngyu"

Pronunciation Tips

ㅠ sounds like “yu”

Basic Vowel ㅡ (eu)

You have now learned eight basic Korean vowels:

ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ

Now you will learn one of the most distinctive Korean vowel sounds:

ㅡ

This vowel is commonly Romanized as:

But be careful: eu does not mean you should pronounce two separate English vowel sounds.

Korean ㅡ is a single vowel sound, and there is no perfect equivalent in English.

For this reason, listening to native pronunciation is especially important in this section.

Meet the Vowel ㅡ

Hangul Letter

ㅡ

Romanization

Approximate Sound

There is no exact English equivalent.

A useful way to think about it is:

Keep your lips relaxed and unrounded.
Pull the tongue slightly back.
Produce a flat, central/back vowel sound.

When written as a full syllable:

ㅇ + ㅡ = 으

Listen:

으

Do not pronounce the Romanization as “e-u” or “ee-oo.” It represents one Korean vowel.

How to Pronounce ㅡ

Step 1 — Relax Your Lips

Do not round your lips.

Your lips should stay fairly neutral.

Step 2 — Keep Your Mouth Narrow

Your jaw does not need to open widely.

Step 3 — Pull Your Tongue Slightly Back

Keep the tongue relatively high and flat compared with vowels such as ㅏ.

Step 4 — Produce One Steady Sound

Say:

으

Try:

으 — 으 — 으

Keep the sound short and even.

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅡ:

Lips: Unrounded
Mouth opening: Narrow
Jaw: Relaxed
Tongue: Relatively high and slightly back
Sound: Flat and steady

A mouth-position image is very useful here because English spelling cannot accurately explain this sound.

Compare ㅜ and ㅡ

These two vowels are especially important to compare because beginners sometimes confuse them.

ㅜ

우

Lips rounded
Tongue high/back
Approximate sound: “oo”

ㅡ

으

Lips unrounded
Tongue high/back
No exact English equivalent

Listen:

우 — 으

Again:

우 — 으

The easiest visual cue is:

ㅜ = rounded lips

ㅡ = relaxed lips

Compare the Shapes

ㅜ

Long horizontal stroke + short downward stroke.

ㅡ

Only the long horizontal stroke.

So you can think:

ㅜ minus the short stroke = ㅡ

How to Write ㅡ

The vowel ㅡ is one of the simplest Hangul letters.

It has only:

One stroke

Draw a long horizontal line from:

left → right

Finished:

ㅡ

Writing Practice ✍️

Trace:

ㅡ　ㅡ　ㅡ　ㅡ　ㅡ

Now copy:

ㅡ　_____　_____　_____　_____

Then write from memory:

_____　_____　_____　_____　_____

Try to keep:

The line straight
The length consistent
The spacing even

ㅡ Is a Horizontal Vowel

Because ㅡ is horizontal, it is placed below the initial consonant.

Example:

ㄱ + ㅡ = 그

The consonant goes on top.

The vowel goes below.

Together:

그

Combining ㅡ With Consonants

Consonant	+ ㅡ	Result	Approx. Reading
ㄱ	ㅡ	그	geu
ㄴ	ㅡ	느	neu
ㄷ	ㅡ	드	deu
ㄹ	ㅡ	르	reu
ㅁ	ㅡ	므	meu
ㅂ	ㅡ	브	beu
ㅅ	ㅡ	스	seu
ㅇ	ㅡ	으	eu
ㅈ	ㅡ	즈	jeu
ㅎ	ㅡ	흐	heu

Again, learners should gradually stop depending on the Romanization.

The real goal is to see:

그, 느, 드, 르, 므, 스, 으

and recognize the vowel ㅡ directly.

Why Is ㅇ Used in 으?

When a syllable begins with only a vowel sound, Hangul uses silent ㅇ in the initial consonant position.

So:

ㅇ + ㅡ = 으

Initial ㅇ is silent.

Therefore:

으

not:

“ngeu”

Nine-Vowel Review

You now know:

ㅏ　ㅑ　ㅓ　ㅕ　ㅗ　ㅛ　ㅜ　ㅠ　ㅡ

Read:

아 — 야 — 어 — 여 — 오 — 요 — 우 — 유 — 으

Then with ㄱ:

가 — 갸 — 거 — 겨 — 고 — 교 — 구 — 규 — 그

Only one basic vowel remains:

ㅣ

Useful Words Containing ㅡ

Here are real Korean words containing ㅡ:

Some of these contain other letters, compound vowels, or final consonants learners have not studied yet.

The goal is simply to recognize ㅡ inside real Korean words.

Find ㅡ 👀

Look at:

그

Which vowel is used?

👉 ㅡ

Look at:

크다

The first syllable:

크

contains:

👉 ㅡ

Look at:

쓰다

The first syllable:

쓰

contains:

👉 ㅡ

Look at:

이름

Where is ㅡ?

👉 름

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1 — Pronouncing “eu” as Two Sounds

Do not say:

e + u

ㅡ is one vowel sound.

❌ Mistake 2 — Rounding the Lips

This is the biggest pronunciation mistake.

For ㅜ, round your lips.

For ㅡ, keep your lips relaxed.

Compare:

우 — 으

❌ Mistake 3 — Confusing ㅡ and ㅜ

Remember:

ㅡ = only horizontal line

ㅜ = horizontal line + downward stroke

❌ Mistake 4 — Putting ㅡ Beside the Consonant

Because ㅡ is horizontal, it goes below the consonant.

Correct:

ㄱ + ㅡ = 그

Pronunciation Tips

ㅡ sounds like “eu”

Basic Vowel ㅣ (i)

You have now learned nine basic Korean vowels:

ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ

Only one basic vowel remains:

ㅣ

This is one of the simplest Hangul letters to recognize and write.

It is also very common in everyday Korean words.

Once you complete this section, you will know all 10 basic Korean vowels.

Meet the Vowel ㅣ

Hangul Letter

ㅣ

Romanization

Approximate Sound

It sounds similar to the “ee” sound in:

see
machine
green

When written as a complete syllable:

ㅇ + ㅣ = 이

Pronunciation:

i / ee

As always, English examples are only approximations. Native Korean audio should be the main pronunciation guide.

How to Pronounce ㅣ

Step 1 — Keep Your Lips Unrounded

Do not push your lips forward.

Step 2 — Slightly Spread the Lips

Your lips may feel slightly wider than when pronouncing ㅡ.

Step 3 — Raise the Front of the Tongue

The tongue is positioned high and toward the front of the mouth.

Step 4 — Say

이

Practice:

이 — 이 — 이

Keep the sound clear and steady.

Mouth Position

When pronouncing ㅣ:

Lips: Unrounded
Mouth opening: Narrow
Tongue: High and toward the front
Jaw: Relaxed
Sound: Clear “ee”-like vowel

This makes ㅣ very different from ㅡ, even though both letters are visually simple.

Compare ㅡ and ㅣ

These are the two simplest basic vowels.

ㅡ

으

Horizontal
Tongue more toward the back
Lips relaxed

ㅣ

이

Vertical
Tongue toward the front
Lips unrounded

Listen:

으 — 이

Again:

으 — 이

This is an important comparison.

Shape Comparison

Look:

ㅡ = horizontal line

ㅣ = vertical line

An easy memory rule:

ㅡ lies down.

ㅣ stands up.

This makes them easy to distinguish visually.

How to Write ㅣ

The vowel ㅣ has:

One stroke

Draw a straight vertical line from:

top → bottom

Finished:

ㅣ

It is one of the easiest Hangul letters to write.

Writing Practice ✍️

Trace:

ㅣ　ㅣ　ㅣ　ㅣ　ㅣ

Now copy:

ㅣ　_____　_____　_____　_____

Write from memory:

_____　_____　_____　_____　_____

Try to keep the line:

Straight
Vertical
Consistent in length

Say 이 while writing.

ㅣ Is a Vertical Vowel

Unlike ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, the vowel ㅣ is vertical.

Therefore, it is placed to the right of the consonant.

Example:

ㄱ + ㅣ = 기

Compare:

ㄱ + ㅡ = 그

and:

ㄱ + ㅣ = 기

So:

ㅡ → below
ㅣ → right

Combining ㅣ With Consonants

Consonant	+ ㅣ	Result	Approx. Reading
ㄱ	ㅣ	기	gi
ㄴ	ㅣ	니	ni
ㄷ	ㅣ	디	di
ㄹ	ㅣ	리	ri
ㅁ	ㅣ	미	mi
ㅂ	ㅣ	비	bi
ㅅ	ㅣ	시	si / shi
ㅇ	ㅣ	이	i
ㅈ	ㅣ	지	ji
ㅎ	ㅣ	히	hi

These combinations are very useful because many appear in real Korean words.

Important Pronunciation Note: 시

When ㅅ combines with ㅣ:

ㅅ + ㅣ = 시

It is often pronounced closer to:

“shi”

rather than a simple English-style “see.”

You do not need to study the full pronunciation rule yet, but it is useful to recognize that Korean sounds can change slightly depending on the following vowel.

Why Is ㅇ Used in 이?

A vowel cannot occupy the initial position of a Korean syllable block by itself.

So Korean uses silent:

ㅇ

Therefore:

ㅇ + ㅣ = 이

Initial:

ㅇ = silent

So the pronunciation is:

i / ee

not:

❌ ngi

Ten Basic Vowels — Complete!

You now know all 10 basic Korean vowels:

ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ ㅣ

Their approximate sounds are:

Vowel	Approximate Sound
ㅏ	a
ㅑ	ya
ㅓ	eo
ㅕ	yeo
ㅗ	o
ㅛ	yo
ㅜ	u
ㅠ	yu
ㅡ	eu
ㅣ	i

This is a major milestone.

Full Vowel Reading Practice

With silent ㅇ:

아　야　어　여　오　요　우　유　으　이

Read slowly first.

Then read naturally:

아 — 야 — 어 — 여 — 오 — 요 — 우 — 유 — 으 — 이

Full ㄱ Combination

Combine every vowel with ㄱ:

가

갸

거

겨

고

교

구

규

그

기

Read:

가 — 갸 — 거 — 겨 — 고 — 교 — 구 — 규 — 그 — 기

This is an excellent full-vowel reading exercise.

Full ㄴ Combination

나　냐　너　녀　노　뇨　누　뉴　느　니

Read aloud without Romanization.

Full ㅁ Combination

마　먀　머　며　모　묘　무　뮤　므　미

This can be used as a timed reading activity later.

Useful Words Containing ㅣ

Again, learners may not yet understand every letter in these words.

The purpose is to recognize ㅣ in authentic Korean.

Find ㅣ 👀

이름

Where is ㅣ?

👉 이

비

Which vowel does it contain?

👉 ㅣ

다리

Where is ㅣ?

👉 리

머리

Where is ㅣ?

👉 리

고기

Where is ㅣ?

👉 기

Common Beginner Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1 — Confusing ㅡ and ㅣ

Remember:

ㅡ = horizontal

ㅣ = vertical

❌ Mistake 2 — Pronouncing ㅣ Like English Short “i”

Korean ㅣ is closer to the vowel in:

see

than the vowel in:

sit

❌ Mistake 3 — Putting ㅣ Under the Consonant

Because ㅣ is vertical, it goes to the right.

Correct:

ㄱ + ㅣ = 기

❌ Mistake 4 — Pronouncing ㅇ in 이

Initial ㅇ is silent.

So:

이

not:

“ngi”

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