HangulEduKorean vowels
Korean has 21 vowels: 10 basic ones and 11 combined from them. All of them grow from just three strokes. Tap a vowel to hear it; it is written after a silent ㅇ, so ㅏ is said 아.
Basic vowels
10 letters
Combined vowels
11 letters, each built from two
How they were designed
Sky, earth and a person
Every vowel is made of three seeds: a dot for the round sky, a flat line ㅡ for the earth, and a standing line ㅣ for a person between them. Put the dot on one side of a line and you get a vowel; add a second dot and it gains a y sound. The dots became short strokes over time.
The three seeds
One dot
Two dots add y
Two vowels in one
In a block
Tall vowels stand right, flat vowels sit below
The shape of a vowel decides where it goes. Tap a block to hear it with ㄱ.
To the right
Underneath
Good news
21 letters, fewer sounds
Some vowels that were different 500 years ago have merged. You still need them for spelling, but your ears only need to learn one sound for each group.
Both sound like e in "bed". Spelling tells them apart: 개 (dog) and 게 (crab) sound the same.
Both sound like ye in "yes".
All three sound like we in "wet": 왜 (why), 회사 (company), 웨이터 (waiter).
Which vowel do you hear?
Ten sounds from all 21 vowels. You never get two choices that sound the same today.
Which vowel do you hear?
Press play, then tap the letter you hear.
Questions
How many vowels are there in Korean?
Hangul has 21 vowel letters: 10 basic vowels (ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ ㅣ) and 11 combined vowels built from them (ㅐ ㅒ ㅔ ㅖ ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ).
Why is there a ㅇ in front of every vowel?
A Korean block always starts with a consonant. When a syllable begins with a vowel, a silent ㅇ holds that place, so ㅏ on its own is written 아.
What is the difference between ㅓ and ㅗ?
ㅗ (o) is said with rounded lips, like o in "go". ㅓ (eo) has the mouth open and the lips relaxed, close to u in "up". Watch the stroke: pointing up for ㅗ, pointing left for ㅓ.
Do ㅐ and ㅔ sound different?
For most speakers in Seoul today, no: both are e as in "bed". They were different sounds once, so the spelling still keeps them apart.
Where does the vowel go in a block?
Tall vowels (ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅣ ㅐ ㅒ ㅔ ㅖ) stand to the right of the consonant: 가. Flat vowels (ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ) sit under it: 고. Combined vowels such as ㅘ do both: 과.
Practise the vowels on your phone
Hangul Hero mixes vowels into quick listening games with audio. Works offline.
