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  3. Korean Pronunciation
  • Front Vowel
  • Central Vowel
  • Back Vowel
  • y(ㅣ)-Glide Diphthong
  • w(ㅗ/ㅜ)-Glide Diphthong
  • (ㅢ) Diphthong
  • Bilabial Consonant
  • Alveolar Consonant
  • Palatal Consonant
  • Velar Consonant
  • Glottal Consonant

Pronunciation

ㅑ/ja/

Basic sound

• IPA: /ja/

• It is a compound vowel: ㅣ (/i/) + ㅏ (/a/)

• Sounds like “ya” in yacht (short and clean)

Do not stress the y separately; it is one syllable.

How to pronounce it

1. Tongue:

  • Start high and front (ㅣ position)
  • Glide quickly to low and open (ㅏ position)

2. Lips:

  • Unrounded throughout

3. Jaw:

  • Opens during the glide

4. Timing:

  • One smooth motion: ya


Syllables composed by ㅑ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
1 ㅑ 야 야구 baseball

Pronunciation

ㅕ/jɔ/

Basic sound

• IPA: /jɔ/

• It is a compound vowel: ㅣ (/i/) + ㅓ (/ɔ/)

• Sounds like “yuh” in young (but shorter and cleaner)

It is NOT yo and NOT yeah.

How to pronounce it

1. Tongue:

  • Start high and front (ㅣ position)
  • Glide quickly to mid-back (ㅓ position)

2. Lips:

  • Unrounded throughout

3. Jaw:

  • Opens moderately during the glide

4. Timing:

  • One smooth motion: yɔ


Syllables composed by ㅕ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
1 ㅕ 여 여기 here

Pronunciation

ㅛ/jo/

Basic sound

• IPA: /jo/

• It is a compound vowel: ㅣ (/i/) + ㅗ (/o/)

• Similar to “yo” in yoga (short, pure)

Keep the vowel pure—no glide toward /u/.

How to pronounce it

1. Tongue:

  • Start high and front (ㅣ position)
  • Glide to mid-back (ㅗ position)

2. Lips:

  • Round during the glide

3. Jaw:

  • Opens slightly

4. Timing:

  • One smooth syllable: yo


Syllables composed by ㅛ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
1 ㅛ 요 요즘 lately

Pronunciation

ㅠ/ju/

Basic sound

• IPA: /ju/

• It is a compound vowel: ㅣ (/i/) + ㅜ (/u/)

• Similar to “you” in yule or youth (but shorter and purer)

Do NOT pronounce it as /yuː/ or /juː/ with length.

How to pronounce it

1. Tongue:

  • Start high and front (ㅣ position)
  • Glide to high and back (ㅜ position)

2. Lips:

  • Strongly rounded during the glide

3. Jaw:

  • Almost closed

4. Timing:

  • One smooth syllable: yu


Syllables composed by ㅠ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
1 ㅠ 유 유리 glass

Pronunciation

ㅖ/je/

Basic sound

• IPA: /je/ or /jɛ/

• It is a compound vowel: ㅣ (/i/) + ㅔ (/e/)

• Sounds like “ye” in yes

In modern Korean, ㅖ is usually pronounced the same as ㅒ.

How to pronounce it

1. Tongue:

  • Start high and front (ㅣ position)
  • Glide quickly to mid front (ㅔ position)

2. Lips:

  • Unrounded

3. Jaw:

  • Opens slightly

4. Timing:

  • One smooth syllable: [je]


Syllables composed by ㅖ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
1 ㅖ 예 예약 reservation

Pronunciation

ㅒ/jɛ/

Basic sound

• IPA: /jɛ/

• It is a compound vowel: ㅣ (/i/) + ㅐ (/ɛ/)

• Sounds like “ye” in yes (but slightly more open)

In modern Korean, ㅒ is usually pronounced the same as ㅖ.

How to pronounce it

1. Tongue:

  • Start high and front (ㅣ position)
  • Glide to mid-low front (ㅐ position)

2. Lips:

  • Unrounded

3. Jaw:

  • Opens a bit more than ㅖ

4. Timing:

  • One smooth syllable: [jɛ]


Syllables composed by ㅒ and examples of words
No.
Vowel
Syllable
Word
Meaning
1 ㅒ 얘 얘 this
Course Image

Greetings

This collection of 100 essential expressions focuses on greetings, daily interactions, politeness, and emotional connection—covering situations such as meeting someone, parting ways, showing gratitude, offering support, and expressing care.

Rather than memorizing isolated words, these phrases help learners understand how Korean is naturally used in real-life conversations. Many expressions include important cultural elements such as respect, hierarchy, and warmth, which are central to Korean communication.

By studying these phrases, learners will:

  • Develop practical speaking skills for daily conversations
  • Understand common sentence patterns and polite forms
  • Gain confidence in social and professional interactions
  • Become familiar with Korean cultural nuances

    Course Image

    Greetings

    This collection of 100 essential expressions focuses on greetings, daily interactions, politeness, and emotional connection—covering situations such as meeting someone, parting ways, showing gratitude, offering support, and expressing care.

    Rather than memorizing isolated words, these phrases help learners understand how Korean is naturally used in real-life conversations. Many expressions include important cultural elements such as respect, hierarchy, and warmth, which are central to Korean communication.

    By studying these phrases, learners will:

    • Develop practical speaking skills for daily conversations
    • Understand common sentence patterns and polite forms
    • Gain confidence in social and professional interactions
    • Become familiar with Korean cultural nuances

      Course Image

      Greetings

      This collection of 100 essential expressions focuses on greetings, daily interactions, politeness, and emotional connection—covering situations such as meeting someone, parting ways, showing gratitude, offering support, and expressing care.

      Rather than memorizing isolated words, these phrases help learners understand how Korean is naturally used in real-life conversations. Many expressions include important cultural elements such as respect, hierarchy, and warmth, which are central to Korean communication.

      By studying these phrases, learners will:

      • Develop practical speaking skills for daily conversations
      • Understand common sentence patterns and polite forms
      • Gain confidence in social and professional interactions
      • Become familiar with Korean cultural nuances