Eu in Korean: the Vowel ㅡ (으)

In dictionary order ㅡ (eu) is vowel number 19 of 21, after ㅠ and before ㅢ. With 1 stroke, ㅡ (eu) has the same stroke count as 1 other vowel, namely ㅣ.

Spread the lips as if smiling and pull the tongue back without rounding. ㅡ is like saying 'oo' with flat lips; English has no exact match.

ㅡ (eu) is a horizontal vowel and sits under the consonant: 그림 (picture), 음식 (food). Korean also adds ㅡ to break up English consonant clusters, as in 스 of 스웨터.

A flat vowel like ㅡ goes under the consonant. In 그 (geu) the ㄱ (giyeok) rides on top and the block becomes tall.

For ㅡ (eu), a vowel can never stand alone in the spelling. With ㅡ (eu), when a syllable starts with the vowel sound, Korean writes the silent ㅇ in front, so ㅡ appears as 으 (eu).

Count one stroke to complete ㅡ.

Loanwords give lots of ㅡ practice because it fills gaps between consonants: 크림 (cream), 뉴스 (news), 스웨터 (sweater). Say them without rounding the ㅡ.

으 and 우 differ only in the lips: flat for 으, rounded for 우. Watch your mouth in a mirror as you switch between 그 and 구.

Learners often round the lips and say 으 like 우, so 그림 turns into 구림. Keep the lips spread flat for the whole vowel.

A word pair shows the contrast: 그 (that) versus 구 (nine). With ㅡ (eu), in the first word the vowel is ㅡ (eu), in the second it is ㅜ.

In Hunminjeongeum the flat line ㅡ stands for the earth, one of the three basic vowel shapes. ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅛ and ㅠ were built on it.

The first block of 슬리퍼 (slippers) is 슬, built as ㅅㅡ + ㄹ and read seul; the vowel is ㅡ.

The first block of 그림 (picture) is 그, built as ㄱㅡ and read geu; the vowel is ㅡ.

The first block of 글 (writing) is 글, built as ㄱㅡ + ㄹ and read geul; the vowel is ㅡ.

The second block of 이름 (name) is 름, built as ㄹㅡ + ㅁ and read reum; the vowel is ㅡ.

In 흙 (soil), ㅡ sits in the first block 흙, which is ㅎㅡ + ㄺ and is read heuk.

Pair ㅡ (eu) with the fourteen basic consonants and you get a row that begins 그 (geu), 느 (neu), 드 (deu), and 르 (reu); only the front of the block changes.

ㅡ (eu) is easiest to hear by reading the whole row aloud, once for every opening position.

Under the silent ㅇ and ㅡ, six common finals give 윽 (euk), 은 (eun), 을 (eul), 음 (eum), 읍 (eup), 응 (eung).

Listen for ㅡ (eu) in the middle of each block, because it keeps its shape while the final consonant closes the sound.

Add ㄱ under 으 and you get 윽 (euk), closing on a quiet k. Add ㄴ under 으 and you get 은 (eun), closing on a hummed n. Put ㄹ at the bottom of 으 for 을 (eul), closing on a tongue-tip l.

Put ㅁ at the bottom of 으 for 음 (eum), closing on a lip-closed m. Put ㅂ at the bottom of 으 for 읍 (eup), closing on a lip-closed p. Put ㅇ at the bottom of 으 for 응 (eung), closing on the ng of song.

Next is ㅢ (ui), which joins ㅡ and ㅣ. Then compare 으 and 우 on the vowel chart; trace ㅡ.

A one-page worksheet for ㅡ (eu) sits beside this guide, with the stroke order, space for tracing and a spot-the-letter game.