I can read a syllable with any of the ten basic vowels and type it on the Korean keyboard, and tell 어 from 오 and 으 from 우 by ear.
The syllable block and ten vowels
The syllable block and ten vowels
Hangul is an alphabet: letters stand for sounds. The letters of a syllable are written together in one square, a syllable block. Every syllable has a vowel.
If a syllable starts with a vowel, ㅇ comes first: at the start of a syllable it is a silent placeholder, so 아 is read [a].
Vertical vowels (ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅣ …) go to the right of the consonant: 바; horizontal ones (ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ …) go under it: 보. The bottom letter of a block comes in lesson 5.
There are ten basic vowels; a second short stroke adds a y sound: ㅏ → ㅑ, ㅓ → ㅕ, ㅗ → ㅛ, ㅜ → ㅠ. See the table: it also gives the romanization of Seoul road signs, for reading signs, not for typing.
Two pairs are hard for English speakers. ㅓ: like the u of “cup”, mouth wider, lips never rounded; the sign spelling “eo” is one sound, not “ee-oh”. ㅗ: the o of “go”, short, lips rounded, no w at the end. ㅡ: the oo of “good” with lips spread flat, tongue pulled back; the spelling “eu” is never “yoo”. ㅜ: the oo of “food”, lips pushed forward. ㅣ: lips spread like ㅡ, but the tongue forward.
Consonants in the lesson words come in lesson 2.
Common mistakes:
• NOT ㅏ without ㅇ as a syllable — write 아.
• NOT ㅡ as the oo of “food”: keep the lips flat.
• NOT ㅓ and ㅗ as one “o” — two letters, two sounds.
• NOT ㅗ to the right of the consonant — it goes below: 보.
Ten basic vowels
A second short stroke adds a y sound: ㅏ → ㅑ, ㅓ → ㅕ, ㅗ → ㅛ, ㅜ → ㅠ.
| Vowel | Syllable | Romanized on road signs | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | 아 | a | a in “father”, short |
| ㅑ | 야 | ya | yah |
| ㅓ | 어 | eo | u in “cup”, mouth wider, lips not rounded |
| ㅕ | 여 | yeo | “you” in “young” |
| ㅗ | 오 | o | o in “go”, short, lips rounded |
| ㅛ | 요 | yo | “yo” in “yoga” |
| ㅜ | 우 | u | oo in “food” |
| ㅠ | 유 | yu | “you” |
| ㅡ | 으 | eu | oo in “good” with flat, smiling lips |
| ㅣ | 이 | i | ee in “see” |
Where the vowel goes in a syllable block
| Where the vowel goes | Which vowels | Sample syllable |
|---|---|---|
| to the right of the consonant | ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅣ | 바 |
| under the consonant | ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ | 보 |
| no consonant at the start | write ㅇ | 아 |
Lesson notes
The syllable block and ten vowels
Hangul is an alphabet: letters stand for sounds. The letters of a syllable are written together in one square, a syllable block. Every syllable has a vowel.
If a syllable starts with a vowel, ㅇ comes first: at the start of a syllable it is a silent placeholder, so 아 is read [a].
Vertical vowels (ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅣ …) go to the right of the consonant: 바; horizontal ones (ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ …) go under it: 보. The bottom letter of a block comes in lesson 5.
There are ten basic vowels; a second short stroke adds a y sound: ㅏ → ㅑ, ㅓ → ㅕ, ㅗ → ㅛ, ㅜ → ㅠ. See the table: it also gives the romanization of Seoul road signs, for reading signs, not for typing.
Two pairs are hard for English speakers. ㅓ: like the u of “cup”, mouth wider, lips never rounded; the sign spelling “eo” is one sound, not “ee-oh”. ㅗ: the o of “go”, short, lips rounded, no w at the end. ㅡ: the oo of “good” with lips spread flat, tongue pulled back; the spelling “eu” is never “yoo”. ㅜ: the oo of “food”, lips pushed forward. ㅣ: lips spread like ㅡ, but the tongue forward.
Consonants in the lesson words come in lesson 2.
Common mistakes:
• NOT ㅏ without ㅇ as a syllable — write 아.
• NOT ㅡ as the oo of “food”: keep the lips flat.
• NOT ㅓ and ㅗ as one “o” — two letters, two sounds.
• NOT ㅗ to the right of the consonant — it goes below: 보.
The Korean keyboard and how answers are checked
You add the Korean keyboard once: the steps for phones and computers are in the table.
Consonants are under the left hand, vowels under the right. Press the letters in order and the block builds itself: ㅇ, then ㅏ, gives 아.
Write your answers in hangul: Latin letters don't count, and romanization is never turned into hangul. The checker ignores spaces and punctuation.