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Vowels (Part 1)
In the last few lessons we learned 10 consonants and 2 vowels ( and ). This lesson will introduce 4 new vowels and show you how theyre used.

What is it: This vowel () can be confusing to first time learners. Its sound is similar to uh, as if youre thinking of something, but has a more rounded sound. Listen to the audio file for this lesson to hear how this character sounds on its own: . How to write it: Start from the middle left and draw a short line to the right. Then draw a line down from the top, connecting with the first line.

What is it: This vowel () is pronounced like the u sound in the word glue. How to write it: Start from the top left and draw a line to the right. Then draw a second line from the middle of the first line, going down.

What is it: This vowel () has the sound of the letters oo in the word good. How to write it: Start from the left, and draw a single line to the right.

GO! Billy Korean

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What is it: This vowel () has the sound of ee as in the word three. How to write it: Start from the top, and draw a single line down.

Practice
Lets practice by making some syllables using these four new vowels. Although so far we have been able to use the English alphabet to write many of the sounds, these new sounds are often more difficult to do so with.

has an m sound, and has an uh sound, so this would combine to form muh.

makes a k or g sound, and has an u sound, so this would be ku/gu.

has a p or b sound, and has the oo sound in good.

is an h sound, and is an ee sound, so this would be hee.

+
Although has an s sound and has an ee sound, these two characters combined do not form the sound see instead, when and are combined, they create the sound shi, as in the English word she. Try to read these examples yourself before looking at the answers. You can also hear what they sound like in the audio file for this lesson.

, , , , ,
Answers: shin, shil, shing, shim shik ship

GO! Billy Korean

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First words
Weve covered a lot of letters so far, and its time to finally introduce you to a few real Korean words. You can also hear these in the audio file for this lesson.

(Hangul the Korean alphabet)

(Korea)

(I, me)

(You)

Conclusion
Theres still more to learn in the coming lessons, but practice as much as you can and youll find that isnt so difficult after all. And be sure to check out the audio file for this lesson so you can hear for yourself what these consonants and vowels actually sound like. If you have any questions or feedback, or just want to say hello, feel free to contact me through my web site at http://www.gobillykorean.com

GO! Billy Korean