Hangul Lesson 3: Eleven More Vowels, One Small Group at a Time

ㅏ with another upright line on its right.

Name / vowel example: 애 (ae). Position: To the right of the starting consonant.

Keep the spelling distinct from ㅔ, even when a speaker sounds similar.

Build: ㅇ + ㅐ → 애. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅑ with another upright line on its right.

Name / vowel example: 얘 (yae). Position: To the right of the starting consonant.

The y-glide partner of ㅐ.

Build: ㅇ + ㅒ → 얘. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅓ with another upright line on its right.

Name / vowel example: 에 (e). Position: To the right of the starting consonant.

Keep this spelling distinct from ㅐ.

Build: ㅇ + ㅔ → 에. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅕ with another upright line on its right.

Name / vowel example: 예 (ye). Position: To the right of the starting consonant.

The y-glide partner of ㅔ in this basic example.

Build: ㅇ + ㅖ → 예. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅗ below-left joins ㅏ on the right.

Name / vowel example: 와 (wa). Position: Below and to the right of the starting consonant.

One vowel slot and one syllable, not two syllables.

Build: ㅇ + ㅘ → 와. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅗ below-left joins ㅐ on the right.

Name / vowel example: 왜 (wae). Position: Below and to the right of the starting consonant.

Watch for the extra upright line: ㅘ and ㅙ are different spellings.

Build: ㅇ + ㅙ → 왜. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅗ below-left joins ㅣ on the right.

Name / vowel example: 외 (oe). Position: Below and to the right of the starting consonant.

Oe is Romanization, not instructions to say o then e. Standard pronunciation allows a diphthong too.

Build: ㅇ + ㅚ → 외. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅜ below-left joins ㅓ on the right.

Name / vowel example: 워 (wo). Position: Below and to the right of the starting consonant.

The Romanization is wo, not weo.

Build: ㅇ + ㅝ → 워. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅜ below-left joins ㅔ on the right.

Name / vowel example: 웨 (we). Position: Below and to the right of the starting consonant.

Compare the written components with ㅙ and ㅚ; do not merge their spellings.

Build: ㅇ + ㅞ → 웨. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅜ below-left joins ㅣ on the right.

Name / vowel example: 위 (wi). Position: Below and to the right of the starting consonant.

Standard pronunciation allows a diphthong too.

Build: ㅇ + ㅟ → 위. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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ㅡ below-left joins ㅣ on the right.

Name / vowel example: 의 (ui). Position: Below and to the right of the starting consonant.

One written vowel slot. Its pronunciation changes in some contexts; this is not a universal oo-ee rule.

Build: ㅇ + ㅢ → 의. Initial ㅇ supplies the written starting position without adding a consonant sound.

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