Korean Vowel Sounds: A Pronunciation Guide for Beginners109

Korean is a phonetic language, meaning that the pronunciation of words is generally consistent with the way they are written. The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, was created in the 15th century and consists of 24 consonants and 21 vowels. In this article, we will focus on the pronunciation of the 21 Korean vowels.

The Korean Vowel Chart

The Korean vowel chart is divided into two main sections: the monophthongs and the diphthongs. Monophthongs are single vowel sounds, while diphthongs are combinations of two vowel sounds.Monophthongs
| Vowel | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | ah | 가 (ga) |
| ㅓ | eo | 더 (deo) |
| ㅗ | oh | 고 (go) |
| ㅜ | oo | 루 (ru) |
| ㅣ | ee | 리 (ri) |
| ㅡ | eu | 을 (eul) |
Diphthongs
| Vowel | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㅐ | ae | 개 (gae) |
| ㅔ | e | 케 (ke) |
| diphthong | wae | 웨 (wae) |
| diphthong | wi | 위 (wi) |
| diphthong | ye | 예 (ye) |
| diphthong | yo | 요 (yo) |

Pronunciation Tips* The Korean vowels are pronounced with a clear and distinct sound. Do not diphthongize the vowels (i.e., do not glide from one vowel sound to another).
* The Korean vowels are all pronounced with a neutral tone. This means that they do not have a rising or falling intonation.
* The length of the vowel sound is important in Korean. Long vowels are pronounced for a longer duration than short vowels.
* The Korean vowels can be combined with consonants to form syllables. A syllable is a unit of sound that consists of a vowel and one or more consonants.

Practice Exercises* Listen to the following audio recordings of the Korean vowels. Try to imitate the pronunciation of the vowels.
* Read the following Korean words aloud. Pay attention to the pronunciation of the vowels.
* Write down the Korean vowels and their pronunciations. This will help you to memorize the vowels.

Conclusion

The Korean vowels are an essential part of the Korean language. By understanding the pronunciation of the vowels, you will be able to better understand and speak Korean.

2024-11-15

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