🎬 Super Beginner Korean Class Ep2. The Structure of Hangul (Initial, Medial, Final Sounds) and Basic Vowels

 

 

안녕하세요, 티나쌤이에요.

Hello, everyone! I'm Tina, your Korean teacher.

Spring is already here in Korea. As you walk around, you can see beautiful spring flowers starting to bloom. The cold winter is over, and warm spring is here. I hope your days will be as warm and happy as spring!

Last time, we learned why Hangul was created and who made it. Do you remember? That's right! 세종대왕! King Sejong created Hangul so that everyone could easily learn to read and write.

King Sejong the Great

Before we start today, let's quickly review the vowels and consonants we learned last time.

First, vowels!

Vowels were created using three basic shapes:

sky (•),  earth (—), and human (ㅣ).

 These are the basic vowels:

ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ

The compound vowels:

ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ, ㅒ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅢ

Next, consonants.

Consonants were inspired by the shapes of the mouth, tongue, and throat.

Let's read them slowly together:

ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ

And the double consonants: ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ

Very good!

If you don’t remember, that’s okay! You can just watch the last video one more time.

And don't forget to try listening to this lesson in Korean too!

Today, we are going to learn about how Hangul is structured with initial, medial, and final sounds. And we’ll also study how to pronounce basic vowels correctly.

Are you ready to study Korean with me today?

Let’s get started!

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1. The Structure of Hangul - Initial, Medial, Final Sounds

Look at the screen carefully! Which one do you think is written in Hangul? Take a guess~

The answer is... this one!

This is Hangul! But... it looks a little different from English, right? Why is that?

In English, words are written left to right in a straight line. Like "apple."

Have you ever played with building blocks? Hangul works just like that! We combine sounds together like pieces of a block.

Let’s see how we write "apple" in Hangul.

We put the sounds together to make one syllable.

For example, ㅅ and ㅏ come together to make 사.
Then, ㄱ and ㅘ come together to make 과.

So, 사과 means "apple" in Korean! 

Each Hangul syllable usually has two or three parts. We call them the initial sound, medial sound, and final sound.

In Korean, we say 초성 (choseong) for the initial sound, 중성 (jungseong) for the medial sound, and 종성 (jongseong) for the final sound.

The initial sound, 초성, is the first sound. It’s usually a consonant.
The medial sound, 중성, comes in the middle. It’s always a vowel.
The final sound, 종성, comes at the end. It’s a consonant too.

Let’s look at some examples.

✔️ ‘비' (Rain)= ㅂ (initial) + ㅣ (medial)

✔️ '강' (River) = ㄱ (initial)+ ㅏ (medial)+ ㅇ(Final)

✔️ '눈' (Snow)= ㄴ (initial)+ ㅜ (medial)+ ㄴ(Final)

This is how Hangul makes a block. The final sound at the bottom is called "batchim."

Here’s something interesting! Vowels can make sounds by themselves, but to make a full letter, they need help from the consonant ㅇ (eung). Let me show you an example:

Let’s look at the word “우유.”
“우유” means milk in Korean.

This word has two vowel sounds: ㅜ and ㅠ.
But in Korean, a vowel can’t make a letter by itself.
It needs a little help!

So, we use the consonant ㅇ to help.
우 is made of ㅇ and ㅜ, and 유 is made of ㅇ and ㅠ.

Here, ㅇ (eung) doesn’t make a sound. It just gives a place for the vowel to stand.

There’s one more rule! The direction of writing is also important in Korean. Remember this: Hangul is written left to right, and top to bottom.

Let’s look at the word “Hangul.”
“Hangul” is written with two syllables: 한 and 글.

First, let’s look at 한.
It has three parts:
ㅎ is the initial sound (we say “초성” in Korean),
ㅏ is the medial sound (“중성”),
and ㄴ is the final sound (“종성”).
When we put them together — ㅎ, ㅏ, ㄴ — we get 한.
We write this from left to right.

Next, let’s look at 글.
It also has three parts:
ㄱ is the initial sound,
ㅡ is the medial sound,
and ㄹ is the final sound.
This time, we write from top to bottom.

So, “Hangul” is made of two blocks, and each block is built with sounds!

Now you can see how Korean letters are put together.
Does it make a bit more sense now?

2. Let’s Learn More About Basic Vowels! 

This time, let’s study vowels more closely. In a Korean letter, vowels always go in the middle. They are the core sound of each syllable.

Vowels sound different depending on your mouth shape and tongue position. So how we move our mouth is really important! Today, we’ll learn 10 basic vowels, called 단모음 in Korean.

ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ

Let’s practice one by one.

Repeat after me and look at the mouth shape!

🟡 ㅏ (a)

To write ㅏ, draw a vertical line from top to bottom (ㅣ),
then a short line from left to right (ㅡ).
To pronounce it, open your mouth wide and lower your tongue.
Say it with me: ㅏ~
One more time: ㅏ~ㅏ

Next vowel is ㅓ.

🟡 ㅓ (eo)

To write ㅓ, draw a short line from left to right,
then a vertical line from top to bottom.
When you pronounce ㅓ, your mouth is a little less open than ㅏ,
and your lips don’t move forward.
Let’s say it together: 어~ 어~

Next is ㅗ.

🟡 ㅗ (o)

To write ㅗ, draw a short line from top to bottom,
then a horizontal line from left to right under it.
Round your lips like a circle when saying it.
Try it: 오~ 오~ one more time, 오~

🟡 ㅜ (u)

To write ㅜ, draw a horizontal line from left to right,
then draw a short vertical line down from the center.
Your lips are also round like ㅗ,
but your chin moves slightly up.
Say it with me: 우~ 우~ 우~

🟡 ㅡ (eu)

Write ㅡ with a single line from left to right.
Keep your lips flat and horizontal.
Your tongue doesn’t touch your teeth.
Repeat: 으~ 으~ 으 ~

🟡 ㅣ (i)

Write ㅣ with one line going from top to bottom.
Your mouth is a bit open, and your tongue touches just behind your lower front teeth.
Say it with me: 이~ 이~ 이~

Next is ㅐ.

🟡 ㅐ (ae)

Write a vertical line (ㅣ),
then a short line from left to right (ㅡ),
and another vertical line from top to bottom.
Open your mouth and lower your tongue.
Repeat: 애~ 애~ 애~

🟡 ㅔ (e)

Draw a short horizontal line from left to right,
then add two vertical strokes going down.
ㅔ sounds very close to ㅐ, but your mouth is slightly less open.
Let’s try: 에~ 에~ 에~

💡This time please Listen carefully!

애 에

Can you hear the difference between ㅐ and ㅔ?
It’s hard, right? Even native Koreans often pronounce them the same.
So don’t worry — it's okay to say them the same.
But when writing, it’s important to use the correct letter.

🟡 ㅚ (oe)

To write ㅚ, draw a short line from top to bottom and a horizontal line from left to right. After that, a vertical line from top to bottom. 

To pronounce it, round your lips like ㅗ,
but make a sound similar to ㅔ.
Repeat after me: 외, 외, 외

🟡 ㅟ (wi)

To write ㅟ, draw a horizontal line from left to right,
then short line from top to bottom after that, a vertical line goes down.

Push your lips forward and say a sound like “l”.
Let’s try it: 위~ 위~ 위~

Let’s go over all 10 basic vowels one more time together:
ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ

Great job!

These are the basic vowels. When you pronounce them, your mouth shape stays the same from beginning to end.

As I said earlier, the consonant ㅇ (ieung) is silent when it comes before a vowel.
So, whether you add ㅇ or not, the sound is the same.

For example:
ㅏ and 아 sound the same.
ㅓ and 어 sound the same.
And the same goes for:
ㅗ and 오, ㅜ and 우, ㅡ and 으,ㅣ and 이,ㅐ and 애,ㅔ and 에, ㅚ and 외,ㅟ and 위.

They all have the same pronunciation, because ㅇ(이응) doesn’t make a sound at the beginning of a syllable.

But if you look closely, the position of ㅇ(이응) changes depending on the vowel.
For vertical vowels like ㅏ and ㅓ, ㅇ(이응) goes on the left side.
For horizontal vowels like ㅡ, ㅗ, and ㅜ, ㅇ(이응) goes on the top.

Now, let’s practice some real Korean words made only with vowels and the consonant ㅇ(이응)!
These are actual Korean words! Let’s say them together.

🟡 이 (i)
“이” means “this” when pointing to a person or thing.
Like in “this person (이 사람).”

It also means number two.
Let’s say it together: 이~ 이~ 👄

🟡 오 (o)
“오” is the number five in Korean!
Let’s count: 일, 이, 삼, 사, 오!
Say it with me: 오~ 오~ ✋

🟡 위 (wi)
“위” means up or above ⬆️
For example: “책은 위에 있어요.”  It means “The book is on top.”
It’s also the name of a body organ — the stomach.
Let’s say it: 위~ 위~

🟡 오이 (oi)
“오이” means cucumber in Korean! 🥒
Let’s say it together: 오이! 오이!

See? Even with just basic vowels and ㅇ,
you can make real Korean words! Pretty interesting, right?

Today, we practiced all 10 basic vowels in detail. We looked at how to move our mouth, where to place our tongue, and how to write each vowel.

Basic vowels make just one sound. Your mouth shape stays the same while saying them.

In the next video, we’ll learn the basic Korean consonants.
With the vowels you learned today and the consonants you’ll learn next time,
you’ll be able to make simple Korean words!

You did a great job today!
Please review what we learned.
And don’t forget to watch this video in Korean too! it’s coming up soon!

Bye~ 👋😊

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"After studying in English, let's study the same content again in Korean!
It's okay if you don't understand it at first.
If you keep listening again and again, your Korean will get better!"

📹 영상 보기 (Watch the Video)

📚 한국어 대본 보기(Korean Script)

안녕하세요~ 티나쌤이에요! 😊 지금 한국은 봄이에요. 밖에 나가면 예쁜 꽃이 보여요. 겨울이 지나고 따뜻한 봄이 왔어요. 여러분도 봄처럼 따뜻하고 행복하면 좋겠어요. 🌸

지난 시간에 배웠어요. 왜 한글이 생겼는지, 누가 만들었는지 배웠어요. 기억해요? 맞아요! 세종대왕이 한글을 만들었어요. 모두가 쉽게 읽고 쓰게 하려고 만든 거예요.
오늘 공부를 시작하기 전에, 지난 시간에 배운 모음과 자음을 복습할게요. 먼저 모음이에요.

모음은 하늘 (•), 땅 (ㅡ), 사람 (ㅣ) 이 세 가지 모양을 합쳐서 만들었어요. 같이 읽어 볼까요? 단모음이에요. 10개예요. ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ (잠깐 멈춤) 이중모음이에요. 11개예요. ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ, ㅒ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅢ

잘했어요~!

 이제 자음을 읽어 볼게요. 자음은 입, 혀, 목 모양을 보고 만들었어요. 천천히 따라 해 보세요~ ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ 그리고 쌍자음도 있어요: ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ

아주 잘했어요! 기억이 잘 안 나면, 지난 영상을 다시 봐도 좋아요.

 오늘은 한글의 구조를 배워요. 초성, 중성, 종성으로 이루어져 있어요. 그리고 모음도 배워요. 여러분~ 오늘도 저와 함께 공부할 준비 되었나요? 그럼, 시작해 볼까요?

 1. 한글의 구조 – 초성, 중성, 종성

화면을 잘 보세요. 여기 간판이 있어요. 이 중에서 한글로 된 간판은 어떤 걸까요? 한 번 찾아보세요~ 👀

정답은~ 바로 이거예요!

이 글자가 바로 한글이에요. 그런데... 영어랑 조금 달라 보이죠? 왜 다를까요? 영어는 글자를 옆으로 써요. 예를 들어서 "apple"은 a-p-p-l-e 이렇게 옆으로 써요. 여러분, 블록 장난감 알아요? 한글은 블록처럼 만들어요. 소리를 조합해서 글자를 만들어요. Apple은 “사과”예요. 그럼 사과는 어떻게 쓸까요? 이렇게 써요!

✔️시옷 더하기 아는 사 (ㅅ + ㅏ = 사)
✔️기역 더하기 와는 과 (ㄱ + ㅘ = 과)

사와 과가 만나서 (사 + 과 = 사과) 단어, “사과”가 되었어요. 사과는 apple이에요! 이렇게 우리는 소리를 조합해서 글자를 만들어요.

한글은 보통 두 개 또는 세 개의 소리로 되어 있어요. 이 소리들을 이렇게 말해요:
• 초성: 첫 번째 소리예요. 보통 자음이에요.
• 중성: 가운데 소리예요. 모음이에요.
• 종성: 마지막 소리예요. 자음이에요.

예를 볼까요?

✔️ ‘비’ = ㅂ(초성) + ㅣ(중성)
✔️ ‘강’ = ㄱ(초성) + ㅏ(중성) + ㅇ(종성)
✔️ ‘눈’ = ㄴ(초성) + ㅜ(중성) + ㄴ(종성)

이렇게 한글은 초성 + 중성 + 종성 이 세 개로 글자를 만들어요. 종성은 항상 아래쪽에 있어요. "받침"이라고 불러요. 받침, 받침

재미있는 점이 하나 있어요! 모음은 혼자서도 소리가 나요. 하지만 글자를 만들려면 ㅇ (이응)이 필요해요.

예를 들어 볼까요?

우유는 영어로 milk예요. "우유"는 ㅜ와 ㅠ, 두 개의 모음이에요. 하지만 모음만으로는 글자가 안 돼요. 그래서 이응 (ㅇ)을 넣어요.
• (우 = ㅇ + ㅜ )모음 우와 이응이 만나서 우
• (유 = ㅇ + ㅠ) 모음 유와 이응이 만나서 유

이 때 이응 (ㅇ)은 소리가 없어요. 하지만 모음을 도와서 글자를 만들어요.

 그리고 하나 더 기억하세요! 글자 쓰는 방향도 중요해요!

📌 한글은 이렇게 씁니다:
👉 왼쪽에서 오른쪽
👇 위에서 아래

한글이라는 단어를 볼게요.
먼저 ‘한’은 ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ 이 만났어요. 왼쪽에서 오른쪽으로 써요.
그리고 ‘글’은 ㄱ + ㅡ + ㄹ이 만났어요. 위에서 아래로 써요.

이제 한글이 어떻게 만들어지는지 조금 더 잘 알겠죠?

자~ 이번에는 모음을 더 자세히 배워요. 모음은 글자에서 가운데 소리예요. 중간에 있는 소리예요. 아주 중요한 소리예요.

모음은 입 모양, 혀 모양이 달라요. 그래서 발음할 때 입 모양이 정말 중요해요.😊

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2. 한글의 단모음

오늘은 단모음을 배워요.

 👉 ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ

이제 하나씩 볼게요. 입 모양도 따라 해보세요! 

🟡 ㅏ (아) “ㅏ”는 위에서 아래로 쓰고, 왼쪽에서 오른쪽으로 짧게 그어요. 입을 크게 벌려요. “아~” 같이 해봐요! 아~ 아~

🟡 ㅓ (어) “ㅓ”는 먼저 옆으로 그어요. 그 다음 위에서 아래로 선을 그어요. 입을 “ㅏ”보다 조금 벌려요. “어~” 따라해요! 어~ 어~

🟡 ㅗ (오) “ㅗ”는 위에서 아래로 먼저 쓰고, 그 밑에 가로로 선을 그어요. 입을 동그랗게 만들어요. 오~ 오~ 오~

🟡 ㅜ (우) “ㅜ”는 먼저 가로 선을 그리고, 가운데에서 아래로 짧게 선을 그어요. 입을 동그랗게, 턱은 조금 올라가요. 우~ 우~ 우~

🟡 ㅡ (으) “ㅡ”는 가로 선 하나예요. 입을 옆으로 넓게 벌려요. 혀는 이(치아)에 닿지 않아요. 으~ 으~ 으~

🟡 ㅣ (이) “ㅣ”는 위에서 아래로 선 하나예요. 입을 조금 열어요. 혀는 아랫니 뒤에 닿아요. 이~ 이~ 이~ 

🟡 ㅐ (애) “ㅐ”는 세 번 그어요. 먼저 세로, 그 다음 가로, 다시 세로! 입을 벌리고 혀는 아래로 내리세요. 애~ 애~ 애~

🟡 ㅔ (에) “ㅔ”는 가로 하나, 세로 둘! “ㅐ”보다 입을 조금만 벌려요. 에~ 에~ 에~

💡 잘 들어 보세요! “애” “에” 소리, 비슷하죠? 한국 사람들도 보통 똑같이 말해요. 똑같이 말해도 괜찮아요! 하지만 글씨 쓸 때는 구별해서 써야 해요. 

🟡 ㅚ (외) “ㅚ”는 먼저 위에서 아래로, 그다음 옆으로, 그리고 다시 아래로! 입은 “ㅗ”처럼 동그랗게, 소리는 “ㅔ”처럼 내요. 외~ 외~ 외~

🟡 ㅟ (위) “ㅟ”는 옆으로, 그 다음 위에서 아래로 두 번 써요. 입을 앞으로 쭉 내밀어요. 소리는 “이”처럼 내요. 위~ 위~ 위~
________________________________________
이제 단모음 10개를 다시 한 번 말해봐요!
ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ
👏👏 잘했어요!

이게 바로 단모음이에요. 입 모양이 바뀌지 않아요. 처음부터 끝까지 소리가 하나예요. 그리고 기억해요! 모음 앞에 오는 ㅇ (이응)은 소리가 없어요. 그래서, 모음 ㅏ 에 이응을 붙여도 소리는 같아요.

 ㅓ → 어 ㅗ → 오 ㅜ → 우 ㅡ → 으 ㅣ → 이 ㅐ → 애 ㅔ → 에 ㅚ → 외 ㅟ → 위

발음은 모두 같아요. 하지만 글자 모양은 달라요.

모음의 방향에 따라 이응의 위치가 달라져요.
 • 세로 모음(ㅏ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ...)은 이응이 왼쪽에 있어요.
• 가로 모음 (ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ...)은 이응이 위쪽에 있어요. 

이제 단모음과 이응으로 만든 진짜 한국어 단어를 연습해 봐요!

🟡 이 “이”는 사람이나 물건을 가리킬 때 써요. 예를 들면, 이 사람. “이”는 숫자 “이”도 뜻해요. 같이 말해요! 이~ 이~ 👄

🟡 오 “오”는 숫자예요. 같이 세어봐요. 일, 이, 삼, 사, 오! 따라해 보세요. 오~ 오~ ✋

🟡 위 “위”는 위쪽, 방향을 뜻해요. 예를 들면: “책은 위에 있어요.” 몸 안에 있는 장기, 위도 같아요. 따라해 보세요. 위~ 위~

🟡 오이 “오이”는 채소예요.🥒 따라해 보세요. 오이! 오이!

이렇게 단모음만으로도 진짜 단어를 만들 수 있어요! 신기하죠? 😊

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자, 오늘은 단모음 10개를 하나하나 천천히 연습해 봤어요. 입 모양, 혀 위치, 글자 쓰는 순서 모두 정말 잘 따라오셨어요! 👏👏

단모음은 소리가 하나예요. 입 모양이 바뀌지 않아요.

다음 시간에는 자음을 배울 거예요. 기본 자음이에요. 오늘 배운 모음과 자음으로 간단한 한국어 단어도 만들 수 있어요!

오늘도 정말 잘했어요!
공부한 내용은 꼭 복습해요!
그럼, 다음에 또 만나요! 안녕~ 👋😊

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📚 영어 번역 보기(English Translation)

🎙️ Hello~ I’m Tina, your Korean teacher! 😊 

Right now, it’s spring in Korea. When you go outside, you can see beautiful flowers blooming. Winter has passed, and warm spring has come. I hope your days are as warm and happy as spring! 🌸 

Last time, we learned why Hangul was created and who made it. Do you remember? That’s right! King Sejong created Hangul so that everyone could easily read and write. 

Before we start today’s lesson, let’s quickly review the vowels and consonants we learned last time. First, vowels! Vowels in Hangul were inspired by three elements: sky (•), earth (ㅡ), and human (ㅣ). 

Let’s read them together! 

These are basic vowels (monophthongs). 

There are 10: ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ 

These are compound vowels (diphthongs). 

There are 11: ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ, ㅒ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅢ 

Great job~! Now let’s read the consonants. 

Consonants were inspired by the shape of the mouth, tongue, and throat. Repeat after me slowly~ ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ There are also double consonants: ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ 

Very good! If you don’t remember, it’s okay to watch the last video again! 

Today’s Lesson: The Structure of Hangul Hangul letters are made of three parts: Initial (초성), Medial (중성), Final (종성). We’ll also learn more about vowels today. Are you ready to study with me? Let’s begin! 🚀 

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1. The Structure of Hangul

Look carefully! Here are some signs. Which one is written in Hangul? Take a guess! 👀 

The answer is... this one! 

That’s Hangul! But… it looks a bit different from English, right? Why is that?

English letters go side by side. For example, “apple” is written a-p-p-l-e. But Hangul is like building blocks. We combine sounds to make one letter block. 

For example, “apple” is “사과” in Korean. 

Let’s see how to write it: 

ㅅ + ㅏ = 사 

ㄱ + ㅘ = 과 

사 + 과 = 사과 (apple!) 

So, we combine sounds to make syllables in Hangul. Usually, a Hangul block has 2 or 3 sounds. Here’s how the parts work:

• Initial (초성): the first sound, usually a consonant. 

• Medial (중성): the middle sound, always a vowel. 

• Final (종성): the last sound, usually a consonant. 

Let’s look at some examples: 

✔️ ‘비’ = ㅂ (initial) + ㅣ (medial) 

✔️ ‘강’ = ㄱ (initial) + ㅏ (medial) + ㅇ (final) 

✔️ ‘눈’ = ㄴ (initial) + ㅜ (medial) + ㄴ (final) 

See how each block is built? The final sound always goes at the bottom. It’s called 받침 (batchim). 

💡 Fun fact! Vowels can make a sound by themselves. But to form a full letter block, they need ㅇ (ieung). 

Let’s try with the word “milk” = 우유 

We use ㅜ and ㅠ (both vowels). But vowels alone can’t make a letter, so we add ㅇ in front. 

• ㅇ + ㅜ = 우 

• ㅇ + ㅠ = 유 

The ㅇ has no sound, but it helps the vowel become a letter. 

📝 Also remember how to write Hangul: 

👉 Left to right 

👇 Top to bottom 

Let’s look at the word “한글” (Hangul): 

‘한’ = ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ → written left to right 

‘글’ = ㄱ + ㅡ + ㄹ → written top to bottom 

Now you understand a bit better how Hangul is made, right? 😊

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2. Simple Vowels

Now, let’s learn more about basic vowels (monophthongs).

Vowels are the middle sound in a block. They are super important! 

Each vowel has a different mouth and tongue shape. So, the way you shape your mouth is very important when pronouncing vowels! 

👉 Here are the 10 basic vowels: ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ 

Let’s go over each one! Try copying the mouth shape too! 

🟡 ㅏ (a) We write ㅏ from top to bottom, and then draw a short line to the right. Open your mouth wide. Let’s say it together: “아~” → “A~” 

🟡 ㅓ (eo) First, draw a short line to the right, then a vertical line down. Open your mouth a little less than ㅏ. Let’s say it together: “어~” → “EO~” 

🟡 ㅗ (o) Draw a vertical line first, then a short horizontal line below it. Make your lips round like an “O.” Let’s say it together: “오~” → “O~” 

🟡 ㅜ (u) Draw a short horizontal line first, then a small vertical line going down. Make your lips round, and lift your chin a bit. Let’s say it together: “우~” → “U~” 

🟡 ㅡ (eu) Just one horizontal line! Stretch your lips sideways. Your tongue should not touch your teeth. Let’s say it together: “으~” → “EU~” 

🟡 ㅣ (i) One straight vertical line from top to bottom. Open your mouth just a little. Your tongue touches the back of your bottom teeth. Let’s say it together: “이~” → “I~” 

🟡 ㅐ (ae) Draw three lines: Vertical → Horizontal → Vertical again! Open your mouth and lower your tongue. Let’s say it together: “애~” → “AE~” 

🟡 ㅔ (e) One horizontal line, then two vertical lines. Open your mouth just a bit less than for ㅐ. Let’s say it together: “에~” → “E~” 

💡 Listen carefully! “애” (ae) and “에” (e) sound very similar, right? Even Korean people pronounce them the same. It’s totally okay to say them the same! But when writing, we must use the correct letter. 

🟡 ㅚ (oe) Draw a vertical line, then a short horizontal line, then another vertical line! Make your lips round like ㅗ, but pronounce it like ㅔ. Let’s say it together: “외~” → “WE~” or “OE~”

🟡 ㅟ (wi) Draw a short horizontal line, then two short vertical lines. Push your lips forward. Pronounce it like “이” (i). Let’s say it together: “위~” → “WI~” 

👏 Let’s say the 10 basic vowels again! ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ Well done! 👏

🟡 These are monophthongs (single vowels). 

👄 Your mouth shape doesn’t change while pronouncing them. 

🔊 It’s just one sound from start to end. 

 And remember! If you add ㅇ (ieung) before a vowel, it has no sound, but it helps form a full syllable. 

For example: • ㅓ = 어 (with ㅇ) • ㅗ = 오 • ㅜ = 우 • ㅡ = 으 • ㅣ =이 • ㅐ = 애 • ㅔ = 에 • ㅚ = 외 • ㅟ = 위 

📝 They sound the same, but the letter shapes are different!

Also remember: 

• If the vowel is vertical (ㅏ, ㅣ, ㅐ, ㅔ...), ㅇ goes on the left. 

• If the vowel is horizontal (ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ...), ㅇ goes on the top. 

 Now, let’s practice real Korean words made with monophthongs and ㅇ! 

🟡 이 (i) It can mean “this” as in “this person,” or the number 2! Say it with me: 이~ (I~) 

🟡 오 (o) It means the number 5. Let’s count together: 일, 이, 삼, 사, 오! (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Say it with me: 오~ (O~) 

🟡 위 (wi) It means “above” or “up.” Example: “The book is on top.” It also means “stomach” (the organ). Say it with me: 위~ (WI~) 

🟡 오이 (oi) It means “cucumber”! 🥒 Let’s say it together: 오이! (OI!) 

 Isn’t it amazing? You can make real words using only monophthongs! ________________________________________ 

👏 Today, we practiced 10 basic vowels one by one. You followed so well with the mouth shape, tongue position, and writing strokes! 🔤 Monophthongs = one sound 👄 Mouth shape doesn’t change 

Next time, we’ll learn consonants! They’re the basic consonants. And with the vowels we learned today, we’ll start building simple Korean words too! 

You did a great job today! 

📝 Don’t forget to review what you learned! See you next time~ Bye~ 👋😊