We in Korean: the Vowel ㅞ (웨)

In dictionary order ㅞ (we) is vowel number 16 of 21, after ㅝ and before ㅟ. With 5 strokes, ㅞ (we) has the same stroke count as 1 other vowel, namely ㅙ.

Round the lips briefly and slide into ㅔ. ㅞ is like the we in English 'wet', the same sound most speakers use for ㅙ and ㅚ.

ㅞ is a mixed vowel: ㅜ under the consonant and ㅔ on the right. It is rare; beginners meet it mostly in loanwords such as 스웨터 (sweater) and 웨이터 (waiter).

ㅞ (we) frames the consonant on two sides, as the block 궤 (gwe) shows.

A bare ㅞ (we) sound needs a consonant in front, because Korean spelling always wants one: 웨 (we) uses the silent ㅇ.

ㅞ takes five strokes in total.

Since ㅞ is rare, learn it through one loanword: 스웨터. Trace it and notice the ㅡ in 스, which Korean adds to break up the English sw.

웨, 왜 and 외 are said almost alike. When English we or whe is borrowed, Korean usually writes 웨: 웨이터, 스웨터.

Learners sometimes build ㅞ from ㅗ, writing ㅙ instead. ㅞ has the short stroke of ㅜ pointing down, below the horizontal line.

Its closest neighbour is ㅙ (wae); compare the two in the table below.

ㅞ is ㅜ and ㅔ (e) written together, and its name is 웨. It ties with ㅙ for the most strokes of any vowel.

In 스웨터 (sweater), ㅞ sits in the second block 웨, which is ㅇㅞ and is read we.

In 웨이터 (waiter), ㅞ sits in the first block 웨, which is ㅇㅞ and is read we.

In 웬일 (what a surprise), ㅞ sits in the first block 웬, which is ㅇㅞ + ㄴ and is read wen.

In 궤도 (orbit), ㅞ sits in the first block 궤, which is ㄱㅞ and is read gwe.

The first block of 웹사이트 (website) is 웹, built as ㅇㅞ + ㅂ and read wep; the vowel is ㅞ.

Put ㅞ (we) behind each basic consonant and the row starts 궤 (gwe), 눼 (nwe), 뒈 (dwe), and 뤠 (rwe); only the front of the block changes.

To hear how steady ㅞ (we) stays across different consonants, say the row from start to finish.

Add a final consonant to 웨 (we) and the vowel stays put while the ending changes: 웩 (wek), 웬 (wen), 웰 (wel), 웸 (wem), 웹 (wep), 웽 (weng).

Whatever final you add, ㅞ (we) remains the heart of the block.

Close 웨 with ㄱ and you read 웩 (wek), closing on a quiet k. Close 웨 with ㄴ and you read 웬 (wen), closing on a hummed n. Close 웨 with ㄹ and you read 웰 (wel), closing on a tongue-tip l.

Close 웨 with ㅁ and you read 웸 (wem), closing on a lip-closed m. Close 웨 with ㅂ and you read 웹 (wep), closing on a lip-closed p. Close 웨 with ㅇ and you read 웽 (weng), closing on the ng of song.

Continue with ㅟ (wi). Then compare ㅞ with ㅙ on the vowel chart; trace both.

The worksheet for ㅞ (we) is a single printable page made from the same data as this page: it has the stroke order, tracing rows and a find-the-letter game.