Compound Vowels II: ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ
Read and say the seven w-type and ㅢ compound vowels (ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ), and learn the three ways to pronounce ㅢ.
Ms. Hana · Hangeul letters & pronunciationWhat you will learn in this lesson
- Build ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ from vowels you already know
- Pronounce each one with a smooth glide
- Know why ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ sound almost the same today
- Choose the right pronunciation of ㅢ in a word
Welcome back! Today we meet the last group of vowels. They look busy, but each one is just two vowels you already know, said quickly together. Take your time.
Two vowels in one sound
In the last lesson you learned ㅐ ㅔ ㅒ ㅖ. Now we combine vowels in a different way. We start with ㅗ or ㅜ, which round your lips, and then slide into another vowel. The result is a sound that begins with a short w glide.
The rule for building them is simple. ㅗ joins with vowels that have a stroke to the right, like ㅏ and ㅐ. ㅜ joins with vowels that have a stroke to the left, like ㅓ and ㅔ. Both ㅗ and ㅜ can also join with ㅣ. Finally, ㅡ joins with ㅣ to make ㅢ, which is a special case we will study at the end.
When you say these vowels, do not make two separate syllables. 와 is one beat, not 오-아. Start with round lips and open them quickly into the second vowel.
How the compound vowels are built
| Vowel | Made from | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅘ | ㅗ + ㅏ | wa | 사과 |
| ㅙ | ㅗ + ㅐ | we (as in wet) | 왜 |
| ㅚ | ㅗ + ㅣ | we (as in wet), today | 회사 |
| ㅝ | ㅜ + ㅓ | wo (open o, as in won) | 뭐 |
| ㅞ | ㅜ + ㅔ | we (as in wet) | 웨이터 |
| ㅟ | ㅜ + ㅣ | wi (as in we) | 귀 |
| ㅢ | ㅡ + ㅣ | ui (flat lips, then i) | 의사 |
ㅗ pairs with right-side vowels, ㅜ pairs with left-side vowels.
Start with round lips for ㅗ, then open wide to ㅏ in one quick move. Write ㅗ first, then ㅏ on the right.
Round lips, then slide to ㅐ. Write ㅗ, then ㅐ. You see it most often in 왜 (why).
Write ㅗ, then a tall ㅣ. Most speakers now say it the same as ㅞ. A rounded single vowel is also correct, but less common.
Round lips for ㅜ, then relax into ㅓ. Write ㅜ first, then ㅓ on the right.
Round lips for ㅜ, then slide to ㅔ. It is rare in native words but common in loanwords.
Round lips, then spread them into ㅣ. Keep it short and sharp.
Lips flat for ㅡ, then move the tongue forward to ㅣ. Write ㅡ first, then ㅣ.
Words with ㅘ and ㅝ
- 사과 sagwa apple; apology
- 과자 gwaja snack, cookie
- 화가 hwaga painter
- 뭐 mwo what (casual)
- 더워요 deowoyo It is hot.
- 추워요 chuwoyo It is cold. Many weather and feeling words end in 워요.
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Here is good news: ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ sound almost the same for most Koreans today. So if you say them all like we in wet, people will understand you. You only need to remember the spelling.
ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ: same sound, different spelling
In older Korean these three vowels were clearly different. In modern speech the difference has almost disappeared. The Standard Pronunciation rules even allow ㅚ to be said as a w-glide sound like ㅞ. Because of this, Korean children also make spelling mistakes with these vowels, so do not worry if you mix them up at first.
How can you remember the spelling? Learn each word as a whole picture. 왜 (why) uses ㅙ. 회사 (company) uses ㅚ. 웨이터 (waiter) uses ㅞ. Many native Korean words use ㅚ, and many loanwords from English use ㅞ, like 웨딩 (wedding) and 웹 (web).
Words with ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅞ and ㅟ
- 왜요? waeyo? Why?
- 돼지 dwaeji pig
- 회사 hoesa company
- 외국 oeguk foreign country
- 웨이터 weiteo waiter
- 귀 gwi ear
- 가위 gawi scissors
- 쉬워요 swiwoyo It is easy. This word has ㅟ and ㅝ together.
The special vowel ㅢ
ㅢ is the only compound vowel that starts with ㅡ. Its basic sound is a quick glide from ㅡ to ㅣ: keep your lips flat and move your tongue forward. But ㅢ changes depending on where it appears. There are three cases.
1. At the start of a word, with no consonant before it, say it fully as [의]. Examples: 의사 (doctor), 의자 (chair).
2. When a consonant comes before it in the same syllable, like 희 or 늬, say it as plain [ㅣ]. So 희망 (hope) sounds like [히망], and 무늬 (pattern) sounds like [무니].
3. When 의 is the possessive particle meaning of or 's, you may say it as [에]. So 우리의 (our) can sound like [우리에]. Saying [의] is also correct.
There is one more detail. When 의 is in the middle or end of a word (not the first syllable), you may say [의] or [이]. For example 주의 (attention) can be [주의] or [주이]. Both are standard.
The three faces of ㅢ
- 의사 uisa doctor First syllable, no consonant: say [의].
- 의자 uija chair Say [의] clearly.
- 희망 [히망] huimang hope ㅎ comes before ㅢ, so say [ㅣ].
- 무늬 [무니] munui pattern Consonant + ㅢ becomes [ㅣ].
- 띄어쓰기 [띠어쓰기] ttuieosseugi spacing between words
- 주의 [주이] juui attention, caution Not the first syllable: [주의] or [주이] are both fine.
- 우리의 꿈 [우리에 꿈] uriui kkum our dream Possessive 의 may be said [에]. [의] is also correct.
Easy to confuse
- 왜 wae why ㅙ: ㅗ + ㅐ. Sounds the same as 웨 in speech.
- 외 oe outside, other (in compounds) ㅚ: ㅗ + ㅣ. Today usually said like 웨.
- 위 wi top, above ㅟ: a clear wee sound, different from 외.
- 워 wo the vowel ㅝ alone ㅝ is wo; do not confuse it with 와 (wa).
Practice tips
Say each vowel slowly in two parts, then faster, until it becomes one sound: 오-아, 오아, 와. Do the same with 우-어, 우어, 워. Use a mirror and check that your lips are round at the beginning.
When you write, remember the order of strokes. Write the first vowel completely, then add the second. In a syllable block, the consonant goes at the top left, ㅗ or ㅜ goes under it, and the side vowel goes on the right. For example, in 과 the ㄱ is top left, ㅗ is below, and ㅏ stands on the right side of both.
Check quiz
Q1. Which two vowels make ㅘ?
Q2. Which vowels sound almost the same for most speakers today?
Q3. How is 희망 (hope) pronounced?
Q4. In 우리의 (our), the particle 의 may be pronounced as…
Q5. Which word has ㅟ?
Q6. How should you say 의사 (doctor)?
Wonderful! You now know every vowel in Hangul. That is a big step. Next we will look at the consonants that sit at the bottom of a block. You are doing very well.
Key points
- ㅗ joins right-side vowels (ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ), ㅜ joins left-side vowels (ㅝ ㅞ), and both join ㅣ (ㅚ ㅟ).
- These vowels start with a quick w glide and are said as one beat.
- ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ sound almost the same today; learn the spelling word by word.
- ㅢ is [의] at the start of a word, [ㅣ] after a consonant (희망 [히망]).
- The possessive 의 may be said [에]; 의 in later syllables may be [이].
Recommended official free resources
- Korean Spelling & Standard Pronunciation rules — National Institute of Korean Language
- Korean Basic Dictionary (11 languages) — National Institute of Korean Language
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