Hangul vowels: 10 basic + 11 compound vowels
Can recognize and pronounce all 21 Hangul vowels and distinguish basic vs compound vowels
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
아버지가 오셨어요.
Father has come.
우유를 마셔요.
I drink milk.
그림이 예뻐요.
The picture is pretty.
개가 귀여워요.
The dog is cute.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Korean has 10 basic vowels and 11 compound vowels (diphthongs). Vowels are built from three elements: a vertical stroke, a horizontal stroke, and a short tick.
| Vowel | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | a (as in 'father') | 아버지 (father) |
| ㅑ | ya | 야구 (baseball) |
| ㅓ | eo (between 'uh' and 'oh') | 어머니 (mother) |
| ㅕ | yeo | 여자 (woman) |
| ㅗ | o (as in 'go') | 오리 (duck) |
| ㅛ | yo | 요리 (cooking) |
| ㅜ | u (as in 'blue') | 우유 (milk) |
| ㅠ | yu | 유리 (glass) |
| ㅡ | eu (no English equivalent — unrounded, back) | 그림 (picture) |
| ㅣ | i (as in 'see') | 이름 (name) |
Key compound vowels:
| Vowel | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㅐ | ae (like 'eh') | 개 (dog) |
| ㅔ | e (like 'bed') | 세계 (world) |
| ㅘ | wa | 과일 (fruit) |
| ㅙ | wae | 왜 (why) |
| ㅚ | oe (like 'weh') | 회사 (company) |
| ㅝ | wo | 원 (won/circle) |
| ㅞ | we | 웨이터 (waiter) |
| ㅟ | wi | 위 (above) |
| ㅢ | ui | 의사 (doctor) |
Important: In modern Korean, ㅐ and ㅔ sound nearly identical (both like 'e' in 'bed'). Context distinguishes them.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesConfused similar-sounding vowels (ㅗ/ㅓ, ㅐ/ㅔ)
Practice: ㅗ (lips rounded, high) vs ㅓ (lips open, low); ㅐ/ㅔ are interchangeable in modern Korean
Mispronounced ㅡ (eu) as a familiar vowel
ㅡ: lips spread flat (like smiling), tongue pulled back — not 'oo' and not 'uh'
아버지가 오셨어요.
Father has come.
ㅏ (a) is an open 'ah' sound like in 'father': 아버지 (abeoji) = father.
우유를 마셔요.
I drink milk.
ㅜ (u) sounds like 'oo' in 'blue': 우유 (uyu) = milk. Both syllables use ㅜ.
그림이 예뻐요.
The picture is pretty.
ㅡ (eu) has no English equivalent — keep your lips unrounded, tongue back: 그림 (geurim) = picture.
개가 귀여워요.
The dog is cute.
ㅐ (ae) and ㅔ (e) both sound like 'e' in 'bed' in modern Korean: 개 (gae) = dog.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises