Eo in Korean: the Vowel ㅓ (어)
ㅓ is the Korean vowel 어 (eo): eo, as in the u of sun. See where ㅓ sits in a block, with 어항 and 거울; trace ㅓ in 2 strokes, print the ㅓ worksheet.
What is Eo in Korean, the Korean vowel ㅓ?
Eo in Korean is ㅓ, the vowel called 어, read eo, as in the u of sun. ㅓ is a tall, upright vowel, so it sits to the right of the consonant in a syllable block, and it takes 2 strokes to write. Try it in 어항 (fish bowl) and 거울 (mirror).
Eo in Korean ㅓ: sound, strokes, place and mirror pair
ㅓ Eo in KoreanKorean vowel · basic
ㅓ is read eo; it sits to the right of the consonant.
ㅓ (Eo) at a glance
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | 어 (eo) |
| Sound | eo, as in the u of sun |
| Sits | right of the consonant |
| Strokes | 2 |
| Type | plain vowel |
| Example words | 떡 (rice cake), 컵 (cup) |
Two ways to remember ㅓ
Shape
Words with ㅓ
rice cake
cup
fish bowl
donut
More words with ㅓ
Sound: eo.
How to say ㅓ
어Drop the jaw a little, keep the lips relaxed and unrounded, and pull the tongue slightly back. ㅓ is close to the u in English 'cup' but with the mouth a bit more open and rounder at the back.
ㅓ (eo) is a vertical vowel and sits to the right of the consonant: 어 (eo), 머리 (head), 엄마 (mom).
Where ㅓ sits in a block
How to write ㅓ
Trace Eo in Korean ㅓ 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 a short line from left to right that ends where the vertical line will be.
Draw the long vertical line from top to bottom through the end of the short line.
Count two strokes to complete ㅓ.
Hold a mirror: say 오 with rounded lips, then relax the lips without moving the tongue and you get close to 어. Practice with 엄마 and 머리.
ㅓ and its look-alikes
ㅓ and ㅗ are the pair learners confuse most. For 어 the lips stay relaxed; for 오 they round forward into a small circle.
The romanization eo leads learners to say e + o. ㅓ is one sound, not two: 어 is a single short vowel.
A word pair shows the contrast: 선 (line) versus 손 (hand). With ㅓ (eo), in the first word the vowel is ㅓ (eo), in the second it is ㅗ.
Why ㅓ looks the way it does
ㅓ is the standing line of the person with the dot on its left, following the Hunminjeongeum design. The dot became the short stroke you draw first.
Behind ㅓ (eo) stands the Hangul vowel recipe: a sky dot, an earth line and a person line, combined in different positions.
Words that use ㅓ
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 에어컨 | e-eo-keon | air conditioner (noun) |
| 이어폰 | i-eo-pon | earphones (noun) |
| 자전거 | ja-jeon-geo | bicycle (noun) |
| 주전자 | ju-jeon-ja | kettle (noun) |
ㅓ shows up in 어, the first block of 어항 (fish bowl), read eo.
ㅓ shows up in 거, the first block of 거울 (mirror), read geo.
ㅓ shows up in 서, the first block of 서울 (Seoul), read seo.
ㅓ shows up in 어, the first block of 어머니 (mother), read eo.
ㅓ shows up in 어, the first block of 어른 (adult), read eo.
Syllables you can build with ㅓ
The row for ㅓ begins 거 (geo), 너 (neo), 더 (deo), and 러 (reo) and carries on through all fourteen consonants.
ㅓ (eo) 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 ㅓ makes, such as 어. Open the syllable builder with ㅓ ready
ㅓ with a final consonant
Under the silent ㅇ and ㅓ, six common finals give 억 (eok), 언 (eon), 얼 (eol), 엄 (eom), 업 (eop), 엉 (eong).
Listen for ㅓ (eo) in the middle of each block, because it keeps its shape while the final consonant closes the sound.
Put ㄱ at the bottom of 어 for 억 (eok), closing on a quiet k. Put ㄴ at the bottom of 어 for 언 (eon), closing on a hummed n. Put ㄹ at the bottom of 어 for 얼 (eol), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Put ㅁ at the bottom of 어 for 엄 (eom), closing on a lip-closed m. Put ㅂ at the bottom of 어 for 업 (eop), closing on a lip-closed p. Put ㅇ at the bottom of 어 for 엉 (eong), closing on the ng of song.
ㅓ writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean letter tracing worksheet: ㅓ (eo)
The one-page Eo in Korean ㅓ sheet shows ㅓ in 2 strokes, traces it, writes it with six consonants (거 너 더 러 머 버) and ends with a game of finding ㅓ among look-alikes.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 98 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say ㅓ out loud, trace its 2 strokes, then write it with six consonants.
Practice ㅓ
Try it yourself
Put Eo in Korean ㅓ, eo, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅓ ready
ㅓ (Eo in Korean) — FAQ
What is the ㅓ pronunciation?
The sound is eo, as in the u of sun. Practice 어 and then 어항, mouth loose.
ㅓ vs ㅗ: how are they different?
Eo, as in the u of sun for ㅓ. A quick check is the word pair 선 / 손. The shapes differ in where the short stroke points.
How do you write ㅓ and which position does it take in a syllable block?
ㅓ takes 2 strokes: Draw a short line from left to right that ends where the vertical line will be. Draw the long vertical line from top to bottom through the end of the short line. In a block it sits to the right of the consonant.
How do you say ㅓ in Korean?
ㅓ (eo) is one vowel, close to the u in 'cup' with relaxed, unrounded lips. It is not e + o.
How many strokes make up ㅓ?
ㅓ has 2 strokes: a short line from the left, then the long vertical line.
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