I in Korean: the Vowel ㅣ (이)

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

Spread the lips and raise the front of the tongue high. ㅣ is close to the ee in English 'see', short and clear.

ㅣ (i) is a vertical vowel and sits to the right of the consonant: 이 (two, tooth), 기, 시. After ㅅ it makes 시, which sounds close to 'shi'.

Because ㅣ (i) stands tall, the consonant must squeeze to the left. In 기 (gi) the ㄱ (giyeok) is narrow and the vowel takes the right-hand side of the block.

With ㅣ (i), a vowel can never stand alone in the spelling. In the case of ㅣ (i), when a syllable starts with the vowel sound, Korean writes the silent ㅇ in front, so ㅣ appears as 이 (i).

ㅣ takes one stroke in total.

Numbers are a quick drill: 일 (one), 이 (two), 십 (ten) all use ㅣ. Trace 이 and 기 and count to ten.

이 and 으 are both unrounded; for 이 the tongue is high at the front, for 으 it is pulled back. Say 이, 으, 우 in a row and feel the tongue move back.

Learners sometimes stretch 이 into 'ee-y', especially at the end of a word. Keep ㅣ short and stop cleanly.

In Hunminjeongeum the standing line ㅣ stands for a person between sky and earth. ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅑ and ㅕ were built on it, and it joins other vowels to make ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅚ, ㅟ and ㅢ.

In 이어폰 (earphones), ㅣ sits in the first block 이, which is ㅇㅣ and is read i.

In 기차 (train), ㅣ sits in the first block 기, which is ㄱㅣ and is read gi.

In 시계 (clock), ㅣ sits in the first block 시, which is ㅅㅣ and is read si.

In 지도 (map), ㅣ sits in the first block 지, which is ㅈㅣ and is read ji.

In 치마 (skirt), ㅣ sits in the first block 치, which is ㅊㅣ and is read chi.

Put ㅣ (i) behind each basic consonant and the row starts 기 (gi), 니 (ni), 디 (di), and 리 (ri); only the front of the block changes.

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

Add a final consonant to 이 (i) and the vowel stays put while the ending changes: 익 (ik), 인 (in), 일 (il), 임 (im), 입 (ip), 잉 (ing).

The sound of ㅣ (i) is steady in every one of them; only the closing consonant changes the end of the block.

Put ㄱ at the bottom of 이 for 익 (ik), closing on a quiet k. Put ㄴ at the bottom of 이 for 인 (in), closing on a hummed n. Put ㄹ at the bottom of 이 for 일 (il), closing on a tongue-tip l.

Put ㅁ at the bottom of 이 for 임 (im), closing on a lip-closed m. Put ㅂ at the bottom of 이 for 입 (ip), closing on a lip-closed p. Put ㅇ at the bottom of 이 for 잉 (ing), closing on the ng of song.

You have met all 21 vowels. Go on to the syllable pages, starting with 가, and review the full vowel chart.

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