You finished this day
The two e vowels
Today covers ㅐ and ㅔ, two vowels that are spelled differently and, for most Seoul speakers, said the same way, plus their y forms ㅒ and ㅖ. By the end you can read 노래 (norae), 'song', and 카메라 (kamera), 'camera', and you will know which differences matter and which are only spelling.
ㅐ is ㅏ with ㅣ added and ㅔ is ㅓ with ㅣ added; both began as glides into i and later settled into single e sounds. ㅐ was the more open of the two, with the jaw lower, and ㅔ the closer one. In modern Seoul speech most people, and nearly all younger speakers, no longer keep them apart, so 개 (gae), 'dog', and 게 (ge), 'crab', sound the same and context decides. The practical answer is to say both like the e in 'bed' and to learn which letter each word uses as part of its spelling. The same goes for ㅒ and ㅖ, which add a y. ㅒ is rare apart from a few words such as 얘기 (yaegi), 'a chat', while ㅖ is common, in words such as 예 (ye), 'yes', and 시계 (sigye), 'clock'.
ㅐ 애
- Sound
- ae, as in 애
- How it sounds
- Like the e in 'bed', said with the mouth a little more open. In modern Seoul speech it sounds the same as ㅔ.
- Memory hook
- ㅏ with ㅣ added on the right. It was once a glide from a to i, and the two have since fused into one sound.
- Watch for
- Reading the romanisation ae as the a in 'cat' or as two vowels; it is a single e sound.
ㅔ 에
- Sound
- e, as in 에
- How it sounds
- Like the e in 'bed'. Most Seoul speakers pronounce it exactly like ㅐ.
- Memory hook
- ㅓ with ㅣ added. The short stroke points inward, towards the other line, which is how you tell it from ㅐ on the page.
- Watch for
- Assuming you can hear which of ㅐ and ㅔ a word has; usually you cannot, and have to learn the spelling.
ㅒ 얘
- Sound
- yae, as in 얘
- How it sounds
- ye as in 'yes', and in practice the same as ㅖ.
- Memory hook
- ㅑ with ㅣ added: the double stroke still means y, and the added line makes it an e.
- Watch for
- Hunting for a difference from ㅖ that most speakers do not make.
ㅖ 예
- Sound
- ye, as in 예
- How it sounds
- ye as in 'yes'. After consonants other than ㅇ and ㄹ it is usually said as a plain e, so 시계 sounds like sige, though it is romanised sigye.
- Memory hook
- ㅕ with ㅣ added: the double stroke gives the y, and the added line makes it an e.
- Watch for
- Pronouncing a careful ye in words like 시계, where speakers normally say e.
Read these
Every word here uses only letters you have met so far. Say it before you press the speaker.
Write today's letters
- Top to bottom, left to right.
- Horizontal strokes are written left to right, vertical ones top to bottom.
- Many corners are turned without lifting the pen, so ㄱ and ㄴ are each a single stroke.
- ㅇ is drawn anticlockwise, starting from the top.
- Vowels follow the same order: ㅏ and ㅜ start with the long line, while ㅓ and ㅗ start with the short stroke.
- In a block, write the consonant first, then the vowel, then any final consonant.
Two passes each: trace it with the guide on, then write it from memory with the guide off and let the guide come back over your strokes. The second pass is the one that teaches you anything.
Check yourself
8 questions. Get 5 right to finish the day.