[Learn Korean] #010 Compound Vowels 2 (ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ)

1. Introduction

In the previous lesson, we learned the first compound vowels (ㅐ, ㅒ, ㅔ, ㅖ).
Today, we will study three more compound vowels that are based on ㅗ (o) combined with another vowel:
ㅘ (wa), ㅙ (wae), and ㅚ (oe).

2. Vowels

• ㅘ (wa)
  Pronunciation: like wa in water
  Example: 와 (wa) = come

• ㅙ (wae)
  Pronunciation: similar to we in wedding, but shorter and clearer
  Example: 왜 (wae) = why

• ㅚ (oe)
  Pronunciation: traditionally oe, but in modern Korean usually pronounced like we in wet
  Example: 외 (oe) = outside

3. Pronunciation Tips

• All three vowels start with the sound of ㅗ (o) and then glide into another vowel.

• ㅘ = ㅗ + ㅏ (o + a)

• ㅙ = ㅗ + ㅐ (o + ae)

• ㅚ = ㅗ + ㅣ (o + i)

• In modern speech, ㅙ and ㅚ are often pronounced very similarly to “we.”

4. Practice Syllables

With consonant ㄱ (g/k):

• 과 (gwa), 괘 (gwae), 괴 (goe/we)

With consonant ㅂ (b/p):

• 봐 (bwa), 뵈 (boe/bwe)

5. Exercises

1. Compare the sounds: 와 vs 왜 vs 외.

2. Write and read aloud: 와, 왜, 외.

3. Try to recognize these words:

   • 과일 (gwail) = fruit

   • 왜 (wae) = why

   • 외국 (oeguk/we-guk) = foreign country

6. Summary

Today, you learned three compound vowels formed with ㅗ:
ㅘ (wa), ㅙ (wae), ㅚ (oe/we).
These vowels are very common in words about everyday life.