Master all 21 Korean vowels (10 basic + 11 compound) and understand how consonants and vowels combine into syllable blocks β the fundamental unit of written Korean.
Estimated Time: 50β60 minutes
Korean vowels are built from three elements that King Sejong based on Neo-Confucian philosophy:
All vowels are combinations of these elements. Vowels are either vertical (written to the right of a consonant) or horizontal (written below a consonant).
| Letter | Sound | Type | Example Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| γ | a (as in father) | Vertical | μμ΄ | child |
| γ | ya (as in yard) | Vertical | μΌκ΅¬ | baseball |
| γ | eo (between "uh" and "oh") | Vertical | μ΄λ¨Έλ | mother |
| γ | yeo (like "yuh") | Vertical | μ¬μ | woman |
| γ | o (as in go) | Horizontal | μ€λ¦¬ | duck |
| γ | yo (as in yoga) | Horizontal | μ리 | cooking |
| γ | u (as in rule) | Horizontal | μ°μ | milk |
| γ | yu (as in you) | Horizontal | μ 리 | glass |
| γ ‘ | eu (no English equivalent β smile and say "oo") | Horizontal | μΌλ¦ | threat |
| γ £ | i (as in machine) | Vertical | μ΄λ¦ | name |
Adding an extra stroke turns a vowel into its "y" version:
γ (a) β γ (ya) Β· γ (eo) β γ (yeo) Β· γ (o) β γ (yo) Β· γ (u) β γ (yu)
Compound vowels are made by combining two basic vowels. Most are intuitive once you know the basic vowels.
| Letter | Combination | Sound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| γ | γ + γ £ | ae (like "eh" in bed) | κ° | dog |
| γ | γ + γ £ | yae (like "yeh") | μκΈ° | talk/story |
| γ | γ + γ £ | e (like "eh" β nearly same as γ ) | μΈκ³ | world |
| γ | γ + γ £ | ye (like "yeh") | μ | yes |
| γ | γ + γ | wa (as in water) | κ³ΌμΌ | fruit |
| γ | γ + γ | wae (like "weh") | μ | why |
| γ | γ + γ £ | oe (like "weh" β same as γ in modern Korean) | μΈκ΅ | foreign country |
| γ | γ + γ | wo (as in won) | μ | won (currency) |
| γ | γ + γ | we (as in wet) | μ¨λ© | wedding |
| γ | γ + γ £ | wi (as in we) | μ | above/stomach |
| γ ’ | γ ‘ + γ £ | ui (say "eu" then slide to "i") | μμ¬ | doctor |
In modern Korean, γ and γ are pronounced nearly identically (both sound like "eh"). Young Koreans often can't distinguish them by sound alone β they rely on context and spelling. Don't stress about hearing the difference!
Korean is written in syllable blocks. Each block is one syllable, combining a consonant + vowel (and optionally a final consonant). Every block must start with a consonant β if a syllable starts with a vowel sound, use γ as a silent placeholder.
| Pattern | Structure | Example | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| CV (horizontal vowel) | Consonant on top, vowel below | λ | nu |
| CV (vertical vowel) | Consonant left, vowel right | λ | na |
| CVC (horizontal vowel) | Consonant, vowel, final consonant below | λ | nun (snow/eye) |
| CVC (vertical vowel) | Consonant, vowel right, final consonant below | λ¨ | nam (south) |
Since every block needs a consonant, vowel-initial syllables use γ :
μ = γ + γ = "a" Β· μ€ = γ + γ = "o" Β· μ° = γ + γ = "u"
Try reading these common words. Sound out each syllable block:
| Word | Blocks | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| λλΌ | λ + λΌ | na-ra | country |
| λ°λ€ | λ° + λ€ | ba-da | sea |
| μ¬λΌ | μ¬ + λΌ | sa-ra | Sara (name) |
| μ΄λ¨Έλ | μ΄ + λ¨Έ + λ | eo-meo-ni | mother |
| μλ²μ§ | μ + λ² + μ§ | a-beo-ji | father |
| νκ΅ | ν + κ΅ | han-guk | Korea |
| κ°μ¬ | κ° + μ¬ | gam-sa | thanks |
| νκ΅ | ν + κ΅ | hak-gyo | school |
Q1: What vowel sounds like the "oo" in "rule"?
Q2: How do you write the syllable "ga" (κ°)?
Q3: Why does the word μμ΄ (child) start with γ ?
In Lesson 3, you'll learn pronunciation rules β the sound changes that make Korean flow naturally, including linking, nasalization, and λ°μΉ¨ (final consonant) rules.