I can read and type the compound vowels, remember that ㅐ and ㅔ sound the same and differ only in the spelling of the word, and read ㅢ in three ways.
Two letters, one vowel
Two letters, one vowel
ㅐ and ㅔ sound the same in Seoul speech: the e of “bet”. Only the spelling of the word tells them apart: 네 “yes” and the first syllable of 내일 “tomorrow” sound alike. Learn the spelling together with the word.
ㅒ and ㅖ are ye, as in “yes”: 예 “yes”. After a consonant, ㅖ sounds like ㅔ: 계절 “season”.
ㅘ = ㅗ + ㅏ: “wah”, one syllable; ㅝ = ㅜ + ㅓ: the “wo” of “won”; ㅟ = ㅜ + ㅣ: “we”. ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ have merged in speech into we, as in “wet” (ㅚ is never “oh-ee”); again only the spelling decides.
ㅢ is read in three ways. At the start of a word, ㅡ glides into ㅣ in one syllable: 의자 “chair”. Later in a word, not in the first syllable, it is [이]: 회의 “meeting” [회이]. The particle 의 (like English 's) after a word is [에]: 저의 “my” (usually written shorter, 제; more in module 1).
Typing: for ㅘ press ㅗ, then ㅏ; the keyboard builds the vowel itself. ㅒ and ㅖ are Shift + ㅐ and ㅔ.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “eye” for ㅐ (from the spelling ae) — it is one sound, the e of “bet”.
• NOT ㅘ in two syllables, “oo-ah” — one syllable, “wah”.
• NOT listening for a difference between ㅐ and ㅔ — there is none; look at the spelling.
Compound vowels
ㅐ = ㅔ and ㅙ = ㅚ = ㅞ — the same to the ear.
| Vowel | Made of | How it sounds | Syllable |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅐ | ㅏ + ㅣ | e, as in “bet” | 애 |
| ㅔ | ㅓ + ㅣ | e, as in “bet” | 에 |
| ㅒ | ㅑ + ㅣ | ye, as in “yes” | 얘 |
| ㅖ | ㅕ + ㅣ | ye, as in “yes” | 예 |
| ㅘ | ㅗ + ㅏ | “wah” | 와 |
| ㅙ | ㅗ + ㅐ | we, as in “wet” | 왜 |
| ㅚ | ㅗ + ㅣ | we, as in “wet” | 외 |
| ㅝ | ㅜ + ㅓ | “wo” in “won” | 워 |
| ㅞ | ㅜ + ㅔ | we, as in “wet” | 웨 |
| ㅟ | ㅜ + ㅣ | “we” | 위 |
| ㅢ | ㅡ + ㅣ | ㅡ + ㅣ in one syllable | 의 |
Lesson notes
Two letters, one vowel
ㅐ and ㅔ sound the same in Seoul speech: the e of “bet”. Only the spelling of the word tells them apart: 네 “yes” and the first syllable of 내일 “tomorrow” sound alike. Learn the spelling together with the word.
ㅒ and ㅖ are ye, as in “yes”: 예 “yes”. After a consonant, ㅖ sounds like ㅔ: 계절 “season”.
ㅘ = ㅗ + ㅏ: “wah”, one syllable; ㅝ = ㅜ + ㅓ: the “wo” of “won”; ㅟ = ㅜ + ㅣ: “we”. ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ have merged in speech into we, as in “wet” (ㅚ is never “oh-ee”); again only the spelling decides.
ㅢ is read in three ways. At the start of a word, ㅡ glides into ㅣ in one syllable: 의자 “chair”. Later in a word, not in the first syllable, it is [이]: 회의 “meeting” [회이]. The particle 의 (like English 's) after a word is [에]: 저의 “my” (usually written shorter, 제; more in module 1).
Typing: for ㅘ press ㅗ, then ㅏ; the keyboard builds the vowel itself. ㅒ and ㅖ are Shift + ㅐ and ㅔ.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “eye” for ㅐ (from the spelling ae) — it is one sound, the e of “bet”.
• NOT ㅘ in two syllables, “oo-ah” — one syllable, “wah”.
• NOT listening for a difference between ㅐ and ㅔ — there is none; look at the spelling.