Basic Vowels I: ㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ ㅣ
Learn the six basic vowels ㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ ㅣ: their sounds, mouth shapes and stroke order, and read your first Korean words.
Ms. Hana · Hangeul letters & pronunciationWhat you will learn in this lesson
- Read and write the vowels ㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ ㅣ
- Make the right mouth shape for each vowel
- Hear and say the difference between ㅓ and ㅗ, and between ㅡ and ㅜ
- Read simple words such as 아이 and 오이
Hello again! Today we meet six vowels. They are the heart of every syllable. Let's look at each one slowly, and use a small mirror if you have one.
Vowels are built from three simple marks
Look closely at the six vowels: ㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ ㅣ. They are made from only a few simple marks: a long vertical line (ㅣ), a long horizontal line (ㅡ), and a short stroke attached to them.
The short stroke works like a small arrow. In ㅏ it points right, in ㅓ it points left, in ㅗ it points up, and in ㅜ it points down. So you do not need to memorize six random shapes. You only need to watch where the short stroke is.
Remember from the last lesson: a vowel cannot stand alone in a block. We put the silent ㅇ in front of it. That is why the names of the vowels are written 아, 어, 오, 우, 으, 이.
Open your mouth wide, jaw down, tongue low and relaxed. Write the long vertical line first, then the short stroke to the right.
Open your mouth a little less than for ㅏ and keep your lips relaxed, not round. Write the short stroke first (left to right), then the long vertical line.
Make your lips small and round, and keep them still. Write the short line down first, then the long line from left to right.
Push your lips forward into a tighter circle than for ㅗ. Write the long horizontal line first, then the short line down from its middle.
Say 'ee', keep your lips flat like a slight smile, then pull your tongue back. One stroke, from left to right.
Lips spread in a gentle smile, tongue high and forward. One stroke, from top to bottom.
Writing vowels in a block
As you learned, there are tall vowels and flat vowels.
Tall vowels: ㅏ ㅓ ㅣ. They stand to the right of the consonant: 아, 어, 이.
Flat vowels: ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ. They sit under the consonant: 오, 우, 으.
When you write, always follow the same order: first the consonant (here, ㅇ), then the vowel. Inside each letter, go from top to bottom and from left to right. This simple rule works for almost every Korean letter.
The six vowels in blocks
| Vowel | Block with ㅇ | Shape | Mouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | 아 | Tall | Wide open |
| ㅓ | 어 | Tall | Half open, lips relaxed |
| ㅗ | 오 | Flat | Small round lips |
| ㅜ | 우 | Flat | Tight round lips pushed forward |
| ㅡ | 으 | Flat | Lips flat, tongue pulled back |
| ㅣ | 이 | Tall | Lips spread in a smile |
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Two pairs give almost everyone trouble at first: 어 and 오, and 으 and 우. That is normal. Let's compare them carefully.
Sounds that are easy to mix up
- 어 eo lips relaxed, mouth half open Do not round your lips. Your mouth is a little open, like a soft 'uh'.
- 오 o lips round and small Make a small circle with your lips. Look in the mirror: if your lips are round, you are saying 오.
- 으 eu lips flat Your lips stay flat, almost like a smile. Only your tongue moves back.
- 우 u lips round and pushed forward Same tongue position as 으, but now round your lips and push them forward.
- 거기 geogi there (place) Starts with ㅓ: relaxed lips. You will learn ㄱ in a later lesson.
- 고기 gogi meat Starts with ㅗ: round lips. One small mouth change makes a new word.
A mirror trick
Here is a simple way to practice. Look in a mirror and say the vowels in this order: 이 – 으 – 우. Your tongue stays high the whole time. From 이 to 으, your tongue moves back but your lips stay flat. From 으 to 우, your lips become round. Do it slowly, three times.
Now try 아 – 어 – 오. From 아 to 어, your mouth closes a little. From 어 to 오, your lips become round. Can you see the change in the mirror? If you can see it, you can hear it too.
Words with only these vowels
- 아이 ai child Two blocks: 아 + 이. Say each clearly, without a 'y' sound between them.
- 오이 oi cucumber 오 + 이. Keep 오 round and short.
- 이 i tooth; also the number two One block, many meanings. Context helps.
- 오 o five A pure 'o', no 'w' at the end.
- 아우 au younger sibling (an old-fashioned or written word) 아 + 우. Keep the two vowels separate.
- 우아 ua elegance, grace 우 + 아. Round, then wide open.
- 이 아이 i ai this child Here 이 means 'this'. Two words, three blocks.
Reading drill
| Row | Read left to right |
|---|---|
| 1 | 아 어 오 우 으 이 |
| 2 | 이 으 우 오 어 아 |
| 3 | 어 오 어 오 어 오 |
| 4 | 으 우 으 우 으 우 |
| 5 | 아이 오이 우아 아우 |
Read each row aloud twice. Go slowly first, then a little faster.
Keep vowels pure
English speakers often add a small glide at the end of a vowel. For example, English 'go' really ends with a little 'w', and English 'say' ends with a little 'y'. Korean vowels do not glide. Hold the mouth shape still from the beginning to the end of the sound.
Also, Korean vowels do not change when they are not stressed. In English, many vowels in weak syllables become a lazy 'uh'. In Korean, every block gets a clear vowel. 아이 is clearly 아 and clearly 이. This is one reason Korean can sound very even and steady.
Check quiz
Q1. Which vowel has a short stroke pointing to the left?
Q2. For which vowel are your lips round and small?
Q3. How is ㅡ different from ㅜ?
Q4. Which word means 'cucumber'?
Q5. Where does ㅜ go in a block?
Q6. In which order do you write ㅏ?
Very good work. Six vowels is a big step. Say 아이 and 오이 a few more times today, and next time we will add a little 'y' sound to make four new vowels.
Key points
- The six basic vowels are ㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ ㅣ, written 아 어 오 우 으 이 with the silent ㅇ.
- ㅏ ㅓ ㅣ are tall (go right); ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ are flat (go below).
- 어 has relaxed lips; 오 has round lips.
- 으 has flat lips; 우 has round lips pushed forward.
- Korean vowels are pure: hold the mouth shape still, with no glide at the end.
Recommended official free resources
- Korean Basic Dictionary (11 languages) — National Institute of Korean Language
- Study Korean — Overseas Koreans Agency
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