Yae in Korean: the Vowel ㅒ (얘)
ㅒ is the Korean vowel 얘 (yae): yae, a rare glide that sounds close to ye. See ㅒ in a block with 얘기 and 걔; trace ㅒ in 4 strokes, print the ㅒ worksheet.
What is Yae in Korean, the Korean vowel ㅒ?
Yae in Korean is ㅒ, the vowel called 얘, read yae, a rare glide that sounds close to ye. ㅒ (yae) goes to the right of the consonant because it is a tall, upright vowel, and you draw it in 4 strokes. You will hear it in 얘기 (talk; story) and 걔 (that kid).
Yae in Korean ㅒ: sound, strokes, place and mirror pair
ㅒ Yae in KoreanKorean vowel · compound
ㅒ is read yae; it sits to the right of the consonant.
ㅒ (Yae) at a glance
Two ways to remember ㅒ
Shape
Words with ㅒ
- that kid
- this kid
- that kid over there
- talk
Sound: yae.
How to say ㅒ
얘Where ㅒ sits in a block
How to write ㅒ
Trace Yae in Korean ㅒ 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 vertical line down.
Draw the upper short line to the right.
Draw the lower short line to the right.
Draw the right vertical line down, touching both short lines.
Count four strokes to complete ㅒ.
Since ㅒ is rare, one word is enough to start: 얘기. Write it five times and say 얘기하다 (to talk) each time.
ㅒ and its look-alikes
| Letter | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ㅒ | 얘 (yae) | yae, close to ye |
| ㅖ | 예 (ye) | ye, as in yes |
얘기 (story) and 예 (yes, example) share the same sound at the start in modern speech. The spelling keeps them apart.
Learners often write 이야기 and 얘기 as if they were different words. 얘기 is the short form of 이야기 (story), so both mean the same.
Its closest neighbour is ㅖ (ye); compare the two in the table below.
Why ㅒ looks the way it does
Both signs show in ㅒ: the double stroke of the y glide and the extra upright line of a two-line vowel.
Words that use ㅒ
In 얘기 (talk; story), ㅒ sits in the first block 얘, which is ㅇㅒ and is read yae.
In 걔 (that kid), ㅒ sits in the first block 걔, which is ㄱㅒ and is read gyae.
In 쟤 (that kid over there), ㅒ sits in the first block 쟤, which is ㅈㅒ and is read jyae.
In 얘 (this kid), ㅒ sits in the first block 얘, which is ㅇㅒ and is read yae.
Syllables you can build with ㅒ
The row for ㅒ begins 걔 (gyae), 냬 (nyae), 댸 (dyae), and 럐 (ryae) and carries on through all fourteen consonants.
To hear how steady ㅒ (yae) stays across different consonants, say the row from start to finish.
Try it yourself
Change the first consonant and read the block that ㅒ makes, such as 얘. Open the syllable builder with ㅒ ready
ㅒ with a final consonant
Closing 얘 with different consonants produces 얙 (yaek), 얜 (yaen), 얠 (yael), 얨 (yaem), 얩 (yaep), 얭 (yaeng).
Whatever final you add, ㅒ (yae) remains the heart of the block.
Put ㄱ at the bottom of 얘 for 얙 (yaek), closing on a quiet k. Put ㄴ at the bottom of 얘 for 얜 (yaen), closing on a hummed n. Put ㄹ at the bottom of 얘 for 얠 (yael), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Put ㅁ at the bottom of 얘 for 얨 (yaem), closing on a lip-closed m. Put ㅂ at the bottom of 얘 for 얩 (yaep), closing on a lip-closed p. Put ㅇ at the bottom of 얘 for 얭 (yaeng), closing on the ng of song.
ㅒ writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean letter tracing worksheet: ㅒ (yae)
The one-page Yae in Korean ㅒ sheet shows ㅒ in 4 strokes, traces it, writes it with six consonants (걔 냬 댸 럐 먜 뱨) and ends with a game of finding ㅒ among look-alikes.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 84 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say ㅒ out loud, trace its 4 strokes, then write it with six consonants.
Practice ㅒ
Try it yourself
Put Yae in Korean ㅒ, yae, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅒ ready
ㅒ (Yae in Korean) — FAQ
Can you explain the ㅒ pronunciation?
ㅒ is read yae, a rare glide that sounds close to ye. Say it with a relaxed mouth and repeat 얘, 얘기.
How do you write ㅒ and which position does it take in a syllable block?
ㅒ takes 4 strokes: Draw the left vertical line down. Draw the upper short line to the right. Draw the lower short line to the right. Draw the right vertical line down, touching both short lines. In a block it sits to the right of the consonant.
How do you say ㅒ in Korean?
ㅒ (yae) sounds like 'ye' in 'yes'. In daily speech it is the same as ㅖ, as in 얘기 (story).
How many strokes does ㅒ have?
ㅒ has 4 strokes: left vertical, two short lines, right vertical.
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