Hangul Vowels
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?
한글 모음 — Hangul Vowels
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.
Common Error Patterns
Confused 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
Put it into practice
Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is 한글 모음 used?
- 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.
- How is 한글 모음 formed?
- Important: In modern Korean, ㅐ and ㅔ sound nearly identical (both like 'e' in 'bed'). Context distinguishes them.
- What are common mistakes with 한글 모음?
- The biggest challenges are ㅓ (eo), ㅡ (eu), and the ㅐ/ㅔ distinction, which has merged in modern pronunciation. 🇬🇧 English speakers: Struggle most with ㅡ (eu) — there is no English equivalent. Also confuse ㅓ with 'uh' or 'oh'. ㅗ and ㅓ are often mixed up. 🇩🇪 German speakers: Have an advantage with ㅡ (similar to German 'ü' without lip rounding). Still confuse ㅗ/ㅓ as both map vaguely to German 'o'. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: ㅡ is similar to Russian ы. Main challenge is distinguishing ㅗ (o) from ㅓ (eo), and the compound vowels ㅘ/ㅝ. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Czech has fewer vowel distinctions, so ㅓ/ㅗ and ㅡ are all difficult. Czech speakers may pronounce ㅡ as 'i' or 'u'.