Wi in Korean: the Vowel ㅟ (위)
ㅟ is the Korean vowel 위 (wi): wi, as in we. See where ㅟ sits in a block, with 쥐 and 귀; trace ㅟ in 3 strokes, print the ㅟ worksheet.
What is Wi in Korean, the Korean vowel ㅟ?
Wi in Korean is ㅟ, the vowel called 위, read wi, as in we. ㅟ (wi) 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. You will hear it in 쥐 (mouse) and 귀 (ear).
Wi in Korean ㅟ: sound, strokes, place and mirror pair
ㅟ Wi in KoreanKorean vowel · compound
ㅟ is read wi; it sits right and below the consonant.
ㅟ (Wi) at a glance
Two ways to remember ㅟ
Shape
Words with 
How to say ㅟ
위Where ㅟ 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
ㅟ (wi) frames the consonant on two sides, as the block 귀 (gwi) shows.
For ㅟ (wi), a vowel can never stand alone in the spelling. With ㅟ (wi), when a syllable starts with the vowel sound, Korean writes the silent ㅇ in front, so ㅟ appears as 위 (wi).
How to write ㅟ
Trace Wi in Korean ㅟ 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 horizontal line of ㅜ.
Draw the short vertical line of ㅜ down.
Draw the vertical line of ㅣ on the right.
In the case of ㅟ (wi), the whole vowel is three strokes.
Body words make good practice: 귀 (ear) and 뒤 (back). Point to each and say the word while you trace it.
ㅟ and its look-alikes
| Letter | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ㅟ | 위 (wi) | wi, as in we |
| ㅢ | 의 (ui) | ui, eu sliding to ee |
위 (top) and 이 (tooth, this) differ by the rounded start. 귀 (ear) and 기 differ the same way.
Learners often split ㅟ into two beats, u-i. Say it as one quick sound: 귀 is one syllable, close to 'gwee'.
Its closest neighbour is ㅚ (oe); compare the two in the table below.
Why ㅟ looks the way it does
ㅟ (wi) is a compound vowel: it is two vowels written together, and the sound slides from the first part to the second.
Words that use ㅟ
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 뒤 | dwi | back (noun) |
| 위 | wi | top (noun) |
| 취미 | chwi-mi | hobby (noun) |
| 귀찮다 | [귀찬타] gwi-chan-ta | to be a bother (adjective) |
ㅟ shows up in 쥐, the first block of 쥐 (mouse), read jwi.
ㅟ shows up in 귀, the first block of 귀 (ear), read gwi.
ㅟ shows up in 위, the first block of 위 (top), read wi.
ㅟ shows up in 뒤, the first block of 뒤 (back), read dwi.
ㅟ shows up in 위, the second block of 사위 (son-in-law), read wi.
Syllables you can build with ㅟ
The row for ㅟ begins 귀 (gwi), 뉘 (nwi), 뒤 (dwi), and 뤼 (rwi) and carries on through all fourteen consonants.
To hear how steady ㅟ (wi) stays across different consonants, say the row from start to finish.
Try it yourself
Change the first consonant and read the block that ㅟ makes, such as 위. Open the syllable builder with ㅟ ready
ㅟ with a final consonant
Under the silent ㅇ and ㅟ, six common finals give 윅 (wik), 윈 (win), 윌 (wil), 윔 (wim), 윕 (wip), 윙 (wing).
Listen for ㅟ (wi) in the middle of each block, because it keeps its shape while the final consonant closes the sound.
Put ㄱ at the bottom of 위 for 윅 (wik), closing on a quiet k. Put ㄴ at the bottom of 위 for 윈 (win), closing on a hummed n. Add ㄹ under 위 and you get 윌 (wil), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Close 위 with ㅁ and you read 윔 (wim), closing on a lip-closed m. Add ㅂ under 위 and you get 윕 (wip), closing on a lip-closed p. Add ㅇ under 위 and you get 윙 (wing), closing on the ng of song.
ㅟ writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean letter tracing worksheet: ㅟ (wi)
The one-page Wi in Korean ㅟ sheet shows ㅟ in 3 strokes, traces it, writes it with six consonants (귀 뉘 뒤 뤼 뮈 뷔) and ends with a game of finding ㅟ among look-alikes.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 101 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say ㅟ out loud, trace its 3 strokes, then write it with six consonants.
Practice ㅟ
Next is ㅠ (yu). Then read 위치 and 취미 and trace ㅟ.
You can practice ㅟ (wi) on paper with the free worksheet, which repeats the stroke order and adds a small find-the-letter game.
Try it yourself
Put Wi in Korean ㅟ, wi, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅟ ready
ㅟ (Wi in Korean) — FAQ
Can you explain the ㅟ pronunciation?
ㅟ is read wi, as in we. Say it with a relaxed mouth and repeat 위, 쥐.
How do you write ㅟ and which position does it take in a syllable block?
ㅟ takes 3 strokes: Draw the horizontal line of ㅜ. Draw the short vertical line of ㅜ down. Draw the vertical line of ㅣ on the right. In a block it sits to the right of and below the consonant.
How do you say ㅟ in Korean?
ㅟ (wi) sounds like the English word 'we', as in 위 (top) and 귀 (ear).
How many strokes does ㅟ have?
ㅟ has 3 strokes: two for ㅜ, then the vertical line of ㅣ.
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