Lesson 2 — Hangul Vowels
Learn the 10 basic Korean vowels and how to pronounce them.
1. Introduction
Korean vowels are simple and consistent. Once you learn them, you can read almost any Korean word.
2. Basic Vowels
| ㅏ | a | 아 (a) |
| ㅑ | ya | 야 (ya) |
| ㅓ | eo | 어 (eo) |
| ㅕ | yeo | 여 (yeo) |
| ㅗ | o | 오 (o) |
| ㅛ | yo | 요 (yo) |
| ㅜ | u | 우 (u) |
| ㅠ | yu | 유 (yu) |
| ㅡ | eu | 으 (eu) |
| ㅣ | i | 이 (i) |
3. Pronunciation Tips
ㅓ (eo) is NOT “oh”.
It’s deeper, like “uh”.
ㅡ (eu) is unique to Korean.
Keep your mouth flat and say “eu”.
ㅣ (i) is like “ee” in “see”.
4. Practice
Try reading these simple vowel combinations:
아, 야, 어, 여, 오
요, 우, 유, 으, 이
아이, 우유, 오이