1. Introduction
Now that you have learned the 10 basic vowels, it’s time to move on to compound vowels (이중 모음).
Compound vowels are created by combining two simple vowels.
Today, we will learn ㅐ (ae), ㅒ (yae), ㅔ (e), and ㅖ (ye).
2. Vowels
ㅐ (ae)
Pronunciation: similar to a in apple
Example: 개 (gae) = dogㅒ (yae)
Pronunciation: similar to ya in yam, but short
Example: 얘 (yae) = child (informal)ㅔ (e)
Pronunciation: like e in bed
Example: 세 (se) = threeㅖ (ye)
Pronunciation: like ye in yes
Example: 예 (ye) = example, yes
3. Pronunciation Tips
ㅐ (ae) and ㅔ (e) sound very similar in modern Korean, and many Koreans pronounce them almost the same.
ㅒ (yae) and ㅖ (ye) also sound very close, especially in casual speech.
Don’t worry too much about the difference at the beginning—context will help you understand.
4. Practice Syllables
With consonant ㄱ (g/k):
개 (gae), 게 (ge), 걔 (gyae), 계 (gye)
With consonant ㅂ (b/p):
배 (bae), 베 (be), 볘 (byae), 볘 (bye)
5. Exercises
Compare pairs: ㅐ vs ㅔ, ㅒ vs ㅖ.
Write and read aloud: 개, 게, 얘, 예.
Try to recognize these words:
내 (nae) = my
세계 (segye) = world
예술 (yesul) = art
6. Summary
Today, you learned the first four compound vowels:
ㅐ, ㅒ, ㅔ, ㅖ.
These sounds are often similar in modern Korean but are essential for reading and writing.
In the next lesson, we will continue with more compound vowels.