Unit 8 · ㅓ, ㅡ and ㄹ · Read

ㅓ, ㅡ and ㄹ

Hear and build eo and eu.

Meet the letters

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

ㅓIn 어
i

eo / ʌ. An open unrounded vowel; not a sequence e + o.

ㅡIn 으
i

eu / ɯ. A high unrounded vowel; not oo. Keep the lips unrounded.

ㄹIn 라
i

r/l. Often a short tap between vowels and l at the end of a syllable.

Build a syllable

A quick first step: fit the new letters into a block. Next, find syllables in words and practise reading, listening and writing.

1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㅇㅓ
어
ㅇ + ㅓ
1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㅇㅡ
으
ㅇ + ㅡ
1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㄹㅏ
라
ㄹ + ㅏ
1 · Start2 · Vowel
ㄹㅜ
루
ㄹ + ㅜ

Words to read

mother

어머니

mothereomeoni
name

이름

nameireum
country

나라

countrynara
head / hair

머리

head / hairmeori
we / our

우리

we / oururi
duck

오리

duckori
Reading tips

ㅓ · eo / ʌ · An open unrounded vowel; not a sequence e + o.

ㅡ · eu / ɯ · A high unrounded vowel; not oo. Keep the lips unrounded.

ㄹ · r/l · Often a short tap between vowels and l at the end of a syllable.

ㅓ and ㅡ are unrounded vowels. ㄹ is a short tongue tap between vowels and l at the end.

Find the highlighted syllables in mother, name and country. The bottom m in the word for name closes the syllable; do not add another vowel.

Reading practice

First, place the new letters

Copy this block using its start, vowel and any ending.

어
1 · Start2 · Vowel
12
□
Start → vowel

First, place the new letters

Copy this block using its start, vowel and any ending.

으
1 · Start2 · Vowel
12
□
Start → vowel

First, place the new letters

Copy this block using its start, vowel and any ending.

라
1 · Start2 · Vowel
12
□
Start → vowel

First, place the new letters

Copy this block using its start, vowel and any ending.

루
1 · Start2 · Vowel
12
□
Start → vowel

Find the syllable in its word

Match each syllable to the highlighted part of a word.

Hear the letter in a syllable

Listen to an example syllable. Match its new letter.

Hear the whole word

Listen. Find its printed word.

Hear the whole word

Listen. Find its printed word.

Read without a sound hint

Read the words. Match their pictures.

Read without a sound hint

Read the words. Match their pictures.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

이름

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

머리

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

Spelling to sound

Read the word. Choose its sound.

오리

Write the word

Look and listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

mother

Write the word

Look and listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

name

Write the word

Look and listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

country

Write the word

Look and listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

head / hair

Write the word

Look and listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

we / our

Write the word

Look and listen. Write the word with consonants and vowels.

duck

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Hear and build eo and eu.

Next unit
mother

어머니

mother
name

이름

name
country

나라

country
head / hair

머리

head / hair
we / our

우리

we / our
duck

오리

duck
Use a Korean keyboard

The on-screen keys use consonant and vowel elements and join them into ordinary written words.

For your own typing, enable a Korean two-set keyboard on your device. Enter the start, vowel and optional final consonant in order.

All letters

ㅇIn 아
i

silent initially / ng finally. A syllable needs an initial consonant position. ㅇ fills it silently before a vowel; at the bottom of 강, it is ng.

ㅏIn 아
i

a. An open a. With a vertical vowel, the initial consonant sits on the left.

ㅣIn 이
i

i. A clear ee vowel.

ㅗIn 오
i

o. A rounded o. A horizontal vowel goes underneath the initial consonant.

ㅜIn 우
i

u. A rounded oo vowel.

ㅠIn 유
i

yu. A y glide plus ㅜ.

ㄴIn 나
i

n. Tongue at the ridge behind the upper teeth.

ㅁIn 마
i

m. Close the lips.

ㄷIn 다
i

d/t (lax). Another lax stop; listen to its position in words.

ㅅIn 사
i

s. Before 이 it is commonly nearer sh.

ㅓIn 어
i

eo / ʌ. An open unrounded vowel; not a sequence e + o.

ㅡIn 으
i

eu / ɯ. A high unrounded vowel; not oo. Keep the lips unrounded.

ㄹIn 라
i

r/l. Often a short tap between vowels and l at the end of a syllable.

ㅂIn 바
i

b/p (lax). A lax lip stop; voicing varies with position.

ㄱIn 가
i

g/k (lax). A Korean lax stop. Its voicing depends on position; it is not simply an English g everywhere.

ㅋIn 카
i

kʰ (airy). A stronger puff of air than lax ㄱ.

ㄲIn 까
i

kk (tense). Firm tense articulation; not two separately spoken k syllables.

ㅑIn 야
i

ya. The extra stroke adds a y glide.

ㅕIn 여
i

yeo. A y glide plus ㅓ.

ㅛIn 요
i

yo. A y glide plus ㅗ.

ㅌIn 타
i

tʰ (airy). A puff of air; not English th.

ㄸIn 따
i

tt (tense). Firm articulation; no separate extra syllable.

ㅍIn 파
i

pʰ (airy). A puff of air after the lips open.

ㅃIn 빠
i

pp (tense). Firm lip closure.

ㅆIn 싸
i

ss (tense). A tense s; compare ㅅ.

ㅈIn 자
i

j/ch (lax). A lax joined consonant; listen rather than substituting one English sound.

ㅊIn 차
i

chʰ (airy). An airy joined consonant.

ㅉIn 짜
i

jj (tense). A tense joined consonant.

ㅎIn 하
i

h. An h sound; it can interact with following consonants.

ㅐIn 애
i

ae. Often pronounced like ㅔ in modern standard speech.

ㅔIn 에
i

e. Often merges with ㅐ; still learn the distinct spelling.

ㅒIn 얘
i

yae. A y glide with ㅐ.

ㅖIn 예
i

ye. A y glide with ㅔ; pronunciation varies in some consonant contexts.

ㅘIn 와
i

wa. ㅗ plus ㅏ in one syllable.

ㅝIn 워
i

wo. ㅜ plus ㅓ.

ㅟIn 위
i

wi. ㅜ plus ㅣ.

ㅙIn 왜
i

wae. ㅗ plus ㅐ.

ㅚIn 외
i

oe / we. Commonly pronounced like we in contemporary speech.

ㅞIn 웨
i

we. ㅜ plus ㅔ.

ㅢIn 의
i

ui. Often eu + i initially. In common positions and in the possessive particle, pronunciation can change; listen to 의사 and the course phrases.