Let's learn to speak Korea

Lesson 1

Vowels

The vowels and combinations of y or w  with a vowel are pronounced somewhat as follows:

i -                as in marine ( meet, cheat)

          wi      as in we ( queen, between, sweat)

e -                 as in met ( or hey,say,mate)

            ye     as in yes ( or yeah)

            we    as in wet ( or way, sway, quake)

oe -       usually pronounce just like we

ae  -              as at ( cap,sack,ham)

             yae  as in yam

             wae as in swam

a -                 as ah ( father)

             ya    as yard, German ja

             wa   as Wahshington ( but not Worshington or Wohshington!) 

eu -       as "jist " ( = just), " pirty " (= pretty) ; or as June, soon, too, cool ( WITH LIPS PULLED BACK 

             HARD)

u -                 as June, soon, too ( WITH LIPS PUSH OUT)

             yu    as you, cue, pew ( WITH LIPS PUSH OUT)

eo -               between song and sung ; like song , law , bought ( WITH LIPS PULLED BACK HARD); 

                     or like sung , lung , butt ( WITH TONGUE PULLED BACK AND PUSHED DOWN, AS IF           

                     WITH A SPOON)

              yeo    between yawn and young

              wo     between wall and won

o  -                as in no

              yo   as in yokel

ui -               The combination ui has three different pronounciations depending on the usage:

                     (1) At the beginning of a word it is pronounced like u

                     (2) At the end of a word it is pronounced like i.

                     (3) At a separate particle meaning of, it is pronounced like e.