Oe in Korean: the Vowel ㅚ (외)
ㅚ is the Korean vowel 외 (oe): we, as in wet. See where ㅚ sits in a block, with 외투 and 회사; trace ㅚ in 3 strokes, print the ㅚ worksheet.
What is Oe in Korean, the Korean vowel ㅚ?
Oe in Korean is ㅚ, the vowel called 외 (oe), read we, as in wet. ㅚ (oe) is a vowel built from a horizontal part and a vertical part, so it sits to the right of and below the consonant in a syllable block, and it takes 3 strokes to write. Try it in 외투 (coat) and 회사 (company).
Oe in Korean ㅚ: sound, strokes, place and mirror pair
ㅚ Oe in KoreanKorean vowel · compound
ㅚ is read oe; it sits right and below the consonant.
ㅚ (Oe) at a glance
Two ways to remember ㅚ
Shape
Words with ㅚ
How to say ㅚ
외Where ㅚ sits in a block
ㅏ ㅐ ㅑ ㅒ ㅓ ㅔ ㅕ ㅖ ㅣ
ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ
ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ
ㅚ (oe) frames the consonant on two sides, as the block 괴 (goe) shows.
A bare ㅚ (oe) sound needs a consonant in front, because Korean spelling always wants one: 외 (oe) uses the silent ㅇ.
How to write ㅚ
Trace Oe in Korean ㅚ 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 short vertical line of ㅗ.
Draw the horizontal line of ㅗ.
Draw the vertical line of ㅣ on the right.
With ㅚ (oe), the whole vowel is three strokes.
Korean allows ㅚ to be read as a diphthong, so 'we' is a safe choice. Practice 회사, 회의 (meeting) and 최고 (the best).
ㅚ and its look-alikes
회사 (company) and 웨이터 (waiter) start with nearly the same sound in modern speech. Remember which words take ㅚ from their spelling.
The romanization oe leads learners to say o + e in two beats. ㅚ is one syllable sound: 회 is closer to 'hweh'.
Its closest neighbour is ㅟ (wi); compare the two in the table below.
Why ㅚ looks the way it does
Reading ㅚ (oe) means reading its two parts in a smooth slide, not as two separate sounds.
Words that use ㅚ
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 외곬 | [외골] oe-gol | single track (noun) |
| 왼쪽 | oen-jjok | left side (noun) |
| 최고 | choe-go | the best (noun) |
| 회사 | hoe-sa | company (noun) |
The first block of 외투 (coat) is 외, built as ㅇㅚ and read oe; the vowel is ㅚ.
The first block of 회사 (company) is 회, built as ㅎㅚ and read hoe; the vowel is ㅚ.
The first block of 최고 (the best) is 최, built as ㅊㅚ and read choe; the vowel is ㅚ.
The first block of 되다 (to become) is 되, built as ㄷㅚ and read doe; the vowel is ㅚ.
The first block of 뇌 (brain) is 뇌, built as ㄴㅚ and read noe; the vowel is ㅚ.
Syllables you can build with ㅚ
Pair ㅚ (oe) with the fourteen basic consonants and you get a row that begins 괴 (goe), 뇌 (noe), 되 (doe), and 뢰 (roe); only the front of the block changes.
ㅚ (oe) 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 ㅚ makes, such as 외. Open the syllable builder with ㅚ ready
ㅚ with a final consonant
Closing 외 with different consonants produces 왹 (oek), 왼 (oen), 욀 (oel), 욈 (oem), 욉 (oep), 욍 (oeng).
Whatever final you add, ㅚ (oe) remains the heart of the block.
Add ㄱ under 외 and you get 왹 (oek), closing on a quiet k. Add ㄴ under 외 and you get 왼 (oen), closing on a hummed n. Add ㄹ under 외 and you get 욀 (oel), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Add ㅁ under 외 and you get 욈 (oem), closing on a lip-closed m. Add ㅂ under 외 and you get 욉 (oep), closing on a lip-closed p. Add ㅇ under 외 and you get 욍 (oeng), closing on the ng of song.
ㅚ writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean letter tracing worksheet: ㅚ (oe)
The one-page Oe in Korean ㅚ sheet shows ㅚ in 3 strokes, traces it, writes it with six consonants (괴 뇌 되 뢰 뫼 뵈) and ends with a game of finding ㅚ among look-alikes.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 90 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say ㅚ out loud, trace its 3 strokes, then write it with six consonants.
Practice ㅚ
Try it yourself
Put Oe in Korean ㅚ, oe, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅚ ready
ㅚ (Oe in Korean) — FAQ
What should the ㅚ pronunciation sound like?
ㅚ is read we, as in wet. Say it with a relaxed mouth and repeat 외, 외투.
ㅚ vs ㅙ: how are they different?
We, as in wet for ㅚ. Compare their strokes in the table above. The shapes differ in where the short stroke points.
How do you write ㅚ and which position does it take in a syllable block?
ㅚ takes 3 strokes: Draw the short vertical line of ㅗ. Draw the horizontal line of ㅗ. Draw the vertical line of ㅣ on the right. In a block it sits to the right of and below the consonant.
How many strokes is ㅚ?
ㅚ has 3 strokes: two for ㅗ, then the vertical line of ㅣ.
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