The Grouping Method: Master All 21 Korean Vowels Easily

How to Memorize 21 Korean Hangul Vowels EASILY? (YouTube link)

In the video above, Hailey explains that Hangul contains 21 vowels, which can feel overwhelming to memorize. To make this easier, she divides them into two categories:

• First Line (Simple Vowels): Comprising 10 basic vowels.
• Second Line (Complex Vowels): Including 11 compound vowels, formed by adding strokes or combining basic vowels.

Hailey suggests that memorizing the 21 Korean vowels becomes easier when they are grouped into manageable sections and paired with a rhythmic chant.

First Line (10 Basic Vowels)

Hailey recites the vowels in a rhythmic sequence: 

• “ah, yah, eo, yeo, oh, yo, u, yu, eu, i.” 

She encourages repeated practice of the chant to aid memorization, comparing it to a song or rhyme. This rhythmic approach uses auditory repetition to help learners internalize both the sounds and order of the simple vowels.

Vowels	ㅏ	ㅑ	ㅓ	ㅕ	ㅗ	ㅛ	ㅜ	ㅠ	ㅡ	ㅣ
Pronunciation	"a"	"ya"	"eo"	"yeo"	"o"	"yo"	"u"	"yu"	"eu"	"i"
As in	father	yard	under	yummy	go	yogurt	moon	you	beau- ti-ful	see
IPA	/a/	/ja/	/ʌ/	/jʌ/	/o/	/jo/	/u/	/ju/	/ɯ/	/i/

Notes:

• The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a standardized set of symbols that linguists use to represent the pronunciation of spoken language—especially English. Instead of relying on inconsistent spelling rules, the IPA offers a precise way to see how a word should sound.
• ㅡ ("eu") sounds like the "eu" in "beautiful" (but with a slightly more retracted tongue)

Learn how to read Korean today! 10 Basic Vowels for beginners (YouTube link)

Second Line (Complex Vowels)

Formation of Complex Vowels by Adding ㅣ 

Adding ㅣ to the right of ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, and ㅕ creates the following complex vowels:

ㅏ + ㅣ = ㅐ (ae)

ㅑ + ㅣ = ㅒ (yae)

ㅓ + ㅣ = ㅔ (e)

ㅕ + ㅣ = ㅖ (ye)

Vowels	ㅐ	ㅒ	ㅔ	ㅖ
Pronunciation	"ae"	"yae"	"e"	"ye"
As in	bed	yes	bed	yes
IPA	/ɛ/	/jɛ/	/e/	/je/

Notes:

• /ɛ/: Pronounce with a lower, more open tongue position, like "bed" or "set." Think of a short, relaxed "e" sound.
• e/: Pronounce with a slightly higher tongue position, like a purer, tenser "e" (closer to "say" without the glide). 
• In modern casual Korean, especially in the Seoul dialect, ㅐ and ㅔ are often pronounced nearly identically, typically merging toward /ɛ/ or a sound between /ɛ/ and /e/. This merger also applies to ㅒ (yae, /jɛ/) and ㅖ (ye, /je/).
• English speakers can treat ㅐ and ㅔ as similar, pronouncing them like the "e" in "bed." However, practicing the slight height difference (lower for /ɛ/, higher for /e/) can improve accuracy in formal settings or when distinguishing minimal pairs like 해 (sun) vs. 헤 (hey).

Learn Korean Vowels ㅗ and ㅜ with Simple Visual Aids

Formation of Complex Vowels from ㅗ

The vowel ㅗ (o, pronounced /o/, with a horizontal stroke and an upward branch) combines with three other vowels to form its complex versions:

• ㅗ + ㅏ = ㅘ (wa): Combines ㅗ (o) with ㅏ (a, vertical stroke with a rightward branch).
• ㅗ + ㅐ = ㅙ (wae): Combines ㅗ (o) with ㅐ (ae, formed by ㅏ + ㅣ).
• ㅗ + ㅣ = ㅚ (oe): Combines ㅗ (o) with ㅣ (i, vertical stroke).

These combinations create diphthongs, blending the sounds of the base vowels into a single syllable.

Vowels	ㅘ	ㅙ	ㅚ
Pronunciation	"wa"	"wae"	"oe"
As in	water	wet	wet
IPA	/wa/	/wɛ/	/we/

Notes:

1. Modern Pronunciation (ㅚ [we]): Most younger Koreans today pronounce ㅚ as [we], which is the same as the Korean vowel ㅙ (wae).

Formation of Complex Vowels from ㅜ

The vowel ㅜ (u, pronounced /u/, with a horizontal stroke and a downward branch) combines with three other vowels to form its complex versions:

• ㅜ + ㅓ = ㅝ (weo): Combines ㅜ (u) with ㅓ (eo, vertical stroke with a leftward branch).
• ㅜ + ㅔ = ㅞ (we): Combines ㅜ (u) with ㅔ (e, formed by ㅓ + ㅣ).
• ㅜ + ㅣ = ㅟ (wi): Combines ㅜ (u) with ㅣ (i, vertical stroke).

Vowels	ㅝ	ㅞ	ㅟ
Pronunciation	"weo"	"we"	"wi"
As in	won	wet	week
IPA	/wʌ/	/we/	/wi/

Formation of Complex Vowel from ㅡ and ㅣ

The vowel ㅡ (eu, pronounced /ɯ/, a horizontal stroke representing a high-back unrounded vowel) combines with ㅣ (i, pronounced /i/, a vertical stroke) to form the complex vowel:

• ㅡ + ㅣ = ㅢ (ui): Visually, it combines the horizontal line of ㅡ with the vertical line of ㅣ, placed side by side.

This combination creates a diphthong or blended sound that varies depending on its position in a word (initial, medial, or final).

Vowels	ㅢ
Pronunciation	"ui" (initial), "i" (final), "e" (possessive)
As in	(initial) "we" (week), (final) "see," (possessive) "bed"
IPA	/ɰi/ (initial), /i/ (final), /e/ (possessive)

Example words:

• 의자 (uija, /ɰi.dʑa/, "chair") – initial position.
• 내의 (nae-i, /nɛ.i/, "underwear") – final position.
• 나의 (na-e, /na.e/, "my") – possessive particle.

 

10 Korean Basic Vowels  (YouTube link)

 

Korean Vowels in 30 seconds (YouTube link)