U in Korean: the Vowel ㅜ (우)
ㅜ is the Korean vowel 우 (u): oo, as in moon. See where ㅜ sits in a block, with 우산 and 구두; trace ㅜ in 2 strokes, print the ㅜ worksheet.
What is U in Korean, the Korean vowel ㅜ?
U in Korean is ㅜ, the vowel called 우, read oo, as in moon. ㅜ is a flat, horizontal vowel, so it sits below the consonant in a syllable block, and it takes 2 strokes to write. Try it in 우산 (umbrella) and 구두 (shoes).
U in Korean ㅜ: sound, strokes, place and mirror pair
ㅜ U in KoreanKorean vowel · basic
ㅜ is read u; it sits below the consonant.
ㅜ (U) at a glance
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | 우 (u) |
| Sound | oo, as in moon |
| Sits | below the consonant |
| Strokes | 2 |
| Type | plain vowel |
| Example words | 우산 (umbrella), 주전자 (kettle) |
Two ways to remember ㅜ
Shape
Words with 
How to say ㅜ
우Round the lips and push them forward, with the tongue high at the back. ㅜ is close to the oo in English 'moon'.
ㅜ (u) is a horizontal vowel and sits under the consonant: 우유 (milk), 물 (water), 부분 (part).
Where ㅜ sits in a block
How to write ㅜ
Trace U in Korean ㅜ 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 long horizontal line from left to right.
From its centre, draw a short vertical line down.
In the case of ㅜ (u), the whole vowel is two strokes.
Say 우유 (milk) slowly and feel the lips stay rounded for both syllables. Then trace 구, 누 and 두.
ㅜ and its look-alikes
| Letter | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ㅗ | 오 (o) | o, as in oh |
| ㅜ | 우 (u) | oo, as in moon |
우 and 으 are the pair to watch. For 우 the lips round and push forward; for 으 they spread flat as if smiling.
Learners often write ㅜ with the short stroke on top, which makes ㅗ. For ㅜ the long line comes first and the short stroke hangs below.
Compare 우리 (we) and 오리 (duck): the first uses ㅜ, the second uses ㅗ.
Why ㅜ looks the way it does
In the Hunminjeongeum design ㅜ is the earth line with the dot below it. The dot became the short stroke pointing down.
With ㅜ (u), in the first design of Hangul the vowels grew from three shapes: a dot for the sky, a flat line for the earth and a standing line for a person. ㅜ (u) is one of the plain vowels made from those building blocks.
Words that use ㅜ
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 외투 | oe-tu | coat (noun) |
| 야구공 | ya-gu-gong | baseball (noun) |
| 원숭이 | won-sung-i | monkey (noun) |
| 꿈 | kkum | dream (noun) |
ㅜ shows up in 우, the first block of 우산 (umbrella), read u.
ㅜ shows up in 구, the first block of 구두 (shoes), read gu.
ㅜ shows up in 두, the first block of 두부 (tofu), read du.
ㅜ shows up in 불, the first block of 불 (fire; light), read bul.
ㅜ shows up in 물, the first block of 물 (water), read mul.
Syllables you can build with ㅜ
The row for ㅜ begins 구 (gu), 누 (nu), 두 (du), and 루 (ru) and carries on through all fourteen consonants.
ㅜ (u) is easiest to hear by reading the whole row aloud, once for every opening position.
Try it yourself
Change the first consonant and read the block that ㅜ makes, such as 우. Open the syllable builder with ㅜ ready
ㅜ with a final consonant
Closing 우 with different consonants produces 욱 (uk), 운 (un), 울 (ul), 움 (um), 웁 (up), 웅 (ung).
Whatever final you add, ㅜ (u) remains the heart of the block.
Add ㄱ under 우 and you get 욱 (uk), closing on a quiet k. Add ㄴ under 우 and you get 운 (un), closing on a hummed n. Add ㄹ under 우 and you get 울 (ul), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Add ㅁ under 우 and you get 움 (um), closing on a lip-closed m. Add ㅂ under 우 and you get 웁 (up), closing on a lip-closed p. Add ㅇ under 우 and you get 웅 (ung), closing on the ng of song.
ㅜ writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean letter tracing worksheet: ㅜ (u)
The one-page U in Korean ㅜ sheet shows ㅜ in 2 strokes, traces it, writes it with six consonants (구 누 두 루 무 부) and ends with a game of finding ㅜ among look-alikes.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 97 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say ㅜ out loud, trace its 2 strokes, then write it with six consonants.
Practice ㅜ
Try it yourself
Put U in Korean ㅜ, u, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅜ ready
ㅜ (U in Korean) — FAQ
Can you explain the ㅜ pronunciation?
ㅜ is read oo, as in moon. Say it with a relaxed mouth and repeat 우, 우산.
How do you write ㅜ and which position does it take in a syllable block?
ㅜ takes 2 strokes: Draw the long horizontal line from left to right. From its centre, draw a short vertical line down. In a block it sits below the consonant.
How many strokes does ㅜ have?
ㅜ has 2 strokes: the long horizontal line, then a short line down from its centre.
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