Mieum (ㅁ) – Korean Consonant 미음
ㅁ (Mieum, 미음) is a steady m sound at the start and the end of a syllable. See 모자 and 물 as example words, trace ㅁ in 3 strokes, print the ㅁ worksheet for free.
What is Mieum (ㅁ) in Korean?
Mieum (ㅁ) is called 미음 in Korean and is a steady m sound at the start and the end of a syllable. ㅁ is one of the 14 basic consonants, takes 3 strokes to write and is made with both lips. Words to try first are 모자 (hat) and 물 (water); for the closing sound, listen to 밤 (night).
Mieum ㅁ: sound, strokes, series and finals
ㅁ MieumKorean consonant · basic
Mieum is m at the start of a syllable and the same at the end.
Mieum (ㅁ) at a glance
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | 미음 (mieum) |
| Sound at the start | m — a hum through the nose |
| Sound at the end | m (unreleased) |
| Strokes | 3 |
| Group | basic consonant |
| Made with | both lips |
| Example words | at the start: 모자 (hat), 마늘 (garlic); at the end: 다람쥐 (squirrel), 아이스크림 (ice cream) |
Three ways to remember ㅁ
Shape
Words that start with 
How to say ㅁ
미음Close both lips and hum through your nose, then open. ㅁ is the same m sound as in English 'mom', at the start and at the end of a syllable.
ㅁ is romanized m everywhere: 물 (mul, water) at the start and 봄 (bom, spring) at the end. As a 받침 the lips stay closed until the next sound.
How ㅁ ends a syllable
In 밤 (night) the lips close and the sound hums through the nose, so the ending is a clear m. When a vowel follows, as in 밤이, the m moves to the next syllable and the word is read [바미].
Unlike most finals, ㅁ (mieum) sounds like itself at the bottom of the block, only shorter and unreleased.
How to write ㅁ
Trace Mieum ㅁ with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
Draw the left side straight down.
Start at the top of that line, draw the top line to the right, then turn down for the right side.
Draw the bottom line from left to right to close the box.
Count three strokes when you write ㅁ (mieum), always moving from the top and the left.
Keep ㅁ a little smaller than you think: in 마 it is a narrow box beside the vowel, and in 모 it becomes wider and flatter. Try 마음 (heart) and 몸 (body).
ㅁ and its look-alikes
| Letter | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ㅁ | 미음 (mieum) | m, as in mouth |
| ㅂ | 비읍 (bieup) | b, as in bucket |
At the end of a syllable, ㅁ, ㄴ and ㅇ are the three nasal sounds: 감 (persimmon) closes the lips, 간 touches the ridge with the tongue tip, and 강 (river) raises the back of the tongue.
Learners often draw ㅁ as one continuous square or start with the top line. The standard order is three strokes: left side, then top and right side together, then bottom.
Why ㅁ looks the way it does
ㅁ (mieum) stands for a sound made with both lips, because Hangul's consonant shapes follow the mouth.
Words that use ㅁ
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 물 | mul | water (noun) |
| 마음 | ma-eum | heart (noun) |
| 머리 | meo-ri | head (noun) |
| 몫 | [목] mok | share (noun) |
| 땀 | ttam | sweat (noun) |
| 밤 | bam | night (noun) |
| 짐 | jim | luggage (noun) |
| 음절 | eum-jeol | syllable (noun) |
Look for ㅁ at the front of 모 in 모자 (hat); the block is read mo.
Look for ㅁ at the front of 물 in 물 (water); the block is read mul.
Look for ㅁ at the front of 마 in 마음 (heart; mind); the block is read ma.
Look for ㅁ at the front of 문 in 문 (door); the block is read mun.
The first block of 머리 (head) is 머, and it opens with ㅁ: read meo.
Syllables you can build with ㅁ
Start a block with ㅁ and add a vowel: 마 (ma), 먀 (mya), 머 (meo), and 며 (myeo), and more.
The ten blocks 마 (ma), 먀 (mya), 머 (meo), 며 (myeo), 모 (mo), 묘 (myo), 무 (mu), 뮤 (myu), 므 (meu), 미 (mi) are worth reading in one breath.
Try it yourself
Pick a vowel and a final for ㅁ and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅁ ready
ㅁ writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean letter tracing worksheet: ㅁ (mieum)
The one-page Mieum ㅁ sheet shows ㅁ in 3 strokes, traces it, writes it with six vowels (마 머 모 무 므 미) and ends with a game of finding ㅁ among look-alikes.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 110 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get all 19 consonants in one pack
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say ㅁ out loud, trace its 3 strokes, then write it with six vowels.
Practice ㅁ
Try it yourself
Put Mieum ㅁ, m, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅁ ready
ㅁ (Mieum) — FAQ
How would you describe the ㅁ pronunciation?
The ㅁ pronunciation is a steady m sound at the start and the end of a syllable. The sound in 모자 (hat) is the one to copy first.
What is ㅁ called in Korean and what sound does it make?
ㅁ is called 미음 (mieum). It is read a steady m sound at the start and the end of a syllable, as in 모자 and 밤.
How many strokes does ㅁ have?
ㅁ has 3 strokes: the left side, the top with the right side, and the bottom line.
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