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The Complete Guide to Korean Alphabet Vowels: Basic & Diphthongs Explained
- elrimkim225
- Aug 7
- 4 min read
1. Introduction: What Are Vowels in the Korean Alphabet?
In the Korean Alphabet (Hangul), vowels play a crucial role. While many writing systems evolved over time, Hangul was intentionally designed, and its vowel system is one of its most brilliant features. Vowels are sounds made without blocking airflow, and in Korean, many syllables can begin with or even be made up entirely of vowels. This means you can say full words using just vowels like "아" (a) or "이" (i).
Hangul vowels are logically structured using lines (vertical and horizontal) and dots. They’re not only easy to learn but also represent how the mouth is shaped during pronunciation. In this post, we’ll explore every Korean vowel — both basic and diphthong — and show you how they’re formed, pronounced, and used in real words.
If you're a beginner in Korean, mastering vowels is your first major step. They are the foundation for syllables, and once you get comfortable with them, reading and writing Korean becomes so much easier.
2. Basic Vowels: ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ
There are 10 basic vowels in Hangul. Each vowel is made from simple strokes: vertical or horizontal lines, sometimes with added small strokes. The shapes are intuitive — for example, ㅏ and ㅓ both use a vertical base line, but the small stroke on the right or left changes the sound.
Vowel | Sound | English Example | Direction |
ㅏ | a | “a” in father | vertical (right) |
ㅓ | eo | “uh” in sun | vertical (left) |
ㅗ | o | “o” in go | horizontal (top) |
ㅜ | u | “oo” in pool | horizontal (bottom) |
ㅡ | eu | unique Korean sound | horizontal (flat) |
ㅣ | i | “ee” in meet | vertical (center) |
ㅑ | ya | “ya” | ㅏ with double stroke |
ㅕ | yeo | “yuh” | ㅓ with double stroke |
ㅛ | yo | “yo!” | ㅗ with double stroke |
ㅠ | yu | “you” | ㅜ with double stroke |
One great way to remember these vowels is through a simple chant that Korean kids learn: "아, 야, 어, 여, 오, 요, 우, 유, 으, 이~". Singing or repeating these in rhythm can help you internalize the vowel order.
3. Diphthongs (이중모음) Overview: ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅒ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅟ, ㅢ
Diphthongs are vowels made by combining two basic vowels. In Hangul, there are 11 common diphthongs. These sounds often resemble blended vowel sounds like “wa”, “we”, or “wi” in English.
Here’s a list of Korean diphthongs and their components:
ㅐ = ㅏ + ㅣ ㅔ = ㅓ + ㅣ ㅒ = ㅑ + ㅣ ㅖ = ㅕ + ㅣㅘ = ㅗ + ㅏ ㅙ = ㅗ + ㅐ ㅚ = ㅗ + ㅣㅝ = ㅜ + ㅓ ㅞ = ㅜ + ㅔ ㅟ = ㅜ + ㅣㅢ = ㅡ + ㅣ
Some diphthongs sound very similar (like ㅐ vs ㅔ or ㅙ vs ㅚ), so learners often confuse them. While in modern Korean some pairs are pronounced almost identically, it’s important to memorize their spelling because they’re used in different words.
Tip: Pair each sound with a word and emotion to help remember it. For example, “왜?” (wae?) = Why?, usually said when you're surprised. That emotion helps make it stick.
4. Visual Summary: Korean Vowel Map
Korean vowels follow a visual pattern. Most vowels are built along two axes: vertical (ㅣ) and horizontal (ㅡ). By adding short strokes or combining basic vowels, new sounds are formed. Visualizing vowels this way helps you understand their logic.
ㅛ ㅗ ㅚ ㅙ ㅘ
ㅡ ㅢ
ㅠ ㅜ ㅟ ㅞ ㅝ
ㅑ ㅏ ㅐ
ㅣ
ㅕ ㅓ ㅔAs you can see, diphthongs grow out of basic vowels. ㅗ expands rightward into ㅘ, ㅙ, and ㅚ. ㅜ expands upward into ㅝ, ㅞ, and ㅟ. This structure isn’t just visually neat — it mirrors the sound shifts, too.
5. How Vowels Combine with Consonants
Hangul is written in syllable blocks that combine consonants and vowels. A basic syllable typically consists of: [Consonant + Vowel] or [Consonant + Vowel + Final Consonant].
Examples:
ㄱ + ㅏ = 가 (ga)
ㅂ + ㅗ = 보 (bo)
ㅁ + ㅔ = 메 (me)
ㄴ + ㅟ = 뉘 (nwi)
ㅎ + ㅢ = 희 (hui)
Each syllable is a self-contained unit. This makes Korean writing look like blocks — almost like mini-words stacked neatly in squares.
Learning to recognize these blocks and sound them out is the fastest way to start reading Korean. Try combining all the vowels with simple consonants like ㄱ, ㅁ, or ㅂ to see how many words you can form!
6. Common Mistakes and Confusions
Some Korean vowels sound very similar, and that can be frustrating at first. The most common confusion comes from these pairs:
Confused Pair | Why It’s Confusing |
ㅐ vs ㅔ | Nearly identical in sound, different usage |
ㅙ vs ㅚ | Both sound like "weh" in modern speech |
ㅒ vs ㅖ | Similar “ye” sounds, especially fast spoken Korean |
ㅢ | Sounds like "ui", "i", or even "e" depending on context |
Tip: Don’t just memorize sound — memorize usage. For example:
“애인” (lover) vs “에어컨” (air conditioner): both pronounced similarly but spelled differently.
“되다” (to become) vs “돼지” (pig): same root vowel sound, different spelling and meaning.
💡 Even native Koreans confuse these at times! The key is exposure and repetition. Over time, your brain will begin to associate the right vowel with the right context.
