Korean letters aren't random — they were DESIGNED in 1443 by King Sejong to be easy to learn. Vowels are made from 3 elements: a vertical line (ㅣ= person), a horizontal line (ㅡ = earth), and a dot/dash (• = sky). Every vowel is a combination of these.
The 10 basic vowels
ㅏa — as in 'father'
ㅓeo — as in 'son' (mouth more open)
ㅗo — as in 'go'
ㅜu — as in 'moon'
ㅡeu — no English equivalent! Say 'oo' but spread your lips flat
ㅣi — as in 'see'
ㅐae — as in 'bed'
ㅔe — as in 'bet' (almost same as ㅐ, Koreans blur them too)
ㅑya — as in 'yacht'
ㅕyeo — 'y' + eo
The pattern: add a line = add 'y'
ㅏ → ㅑa → ya (add a dash)
ㅓ → ㅕeo → yeo
ㅗ → ㅛo → yo
ㅜ → ㅠu → yu
See the pattern? One dash = plain vowel. Two dashes = 'y' version. Korean is THAT logical.
ㅡ (eu) is the hardest vowel for foreigners. Think of it as the sound you make when someone punches you in the stomach — 'ugh' but shorter. Your lips should be flat, not rounded like 'oo'. Practice: say 'oo' then slowly flatten your lips. That's ㅡ.
Quick Quiz