Korean Y Vowels: ㅑ ㅕ ㅛ ㅠ ㅒ ㅖ and the One-Stroke Rule

Before you start: learn the basic Korean vowels first, because every y-vowel is a plain vowel with a glide in front.

What Are Korean Y Vowels?

Korean y vowels are vowels that begin with a quick “y” sound, called a y-glide, before the main vowel. Linguists call this iotation: a vowel is “iotated” when a short /j/ sound is added in front. Korean has six such letters, and each one is a simpler vowel plus one extra stroke.

Four of them, ㅑ ㅕ ㅛ ㅠ, belong to the ten basic vowels in the Hangul orthography rules (한글 맞춤법). The other two, ㅒ and ㅖ, are compound vowels built from ㅐ and ㅔ. All six use Revised Romanization spellings that begin with “y”.

The One-Stroke Rule

The one-stroke rule says that you can turn a plain vowel into its y-vowel by adding one short stroke. The added stroke is the visual sign of the y-glide. Six pairs follow the rule.

The original 1446 description of Hangul, the Hunminjeongeum Haerye, explains ㅑ ㅕ ㅛ ㅠ as the “second appearance” of ㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ, drawn with two dots where the plain vowel has one. The dots later became short strokes. That gives you a simple memory rule: one mark for the plain vowel, two marks for the y-vowel.

Why Do ㅡ and ㅣ Have No Y-Version?

ㅣ already is the y position, so a y-version of ㅣ would add nothing. The glide /j/ is made with the tongue high and forward, exactly where ㅣ is made. ㅡ has no y-version because standard modern Korean has no y-glide + ㅡ sound to write. When ㅡ meets ㅣ the result is a different vowel, ㅢ.

Vertical Y-Vowels: ㅑ and ㅕ

ㅑ and ㅕ are the vertical y-vowels, written to the right of the consonant, as in 야 and 여. Both have a vertical line with two short strokes, which point right for ㅑ and left for ㅕ.

• The vowel ㅑ is the easiest y-vowel for English speakers, because [ja] is almost the “ya” of “yard”. The lesson covers 야구, 약 and 고양이, and the casual “hey!” 야.
• The vowel ㅕ needs extra care because its romanization “yeo” misleads: the sound is [jʌ], with flat lips, not “yo”. The lesson also covers the rule that makes 가져 sound like 가저.

Horizontal Y-Vowels: ㅛ and ㅠ

ㅛ and ㅠ are the horizontal y-vowels, written under the consonant, as in 교 and 휴. Both have a horizontal line with two short strokes, pointing up for ㅛ and down for ㅠ. Both need rounded lips.

• The vowel ㅛ is the vowel in the polite ending -요, so it appears in almost every sentence you will hear. The lesson also explains why 학교 is said [학꾜].
• The vowel ㅠ appears in 우유 (milk) and in loanwords such as 뉴스 and 컴퓨터. It also gives you the crying face ㅠㅠ.

Compound Y-Vowels: ㅒ and ㅖ

ㅒ and ㅖ are the compound y-vowels, made from ㅐ and ㅔ plus the extra stroke. In present-day speech they sound the same or nearly the same, so one lesson covers both. The vowels ㅒ and ㅖ come last because they build on ㅐ and ㅔ. The lesson explains the rule that lets 시계 be said [시계] or [시게].

When Does the Y Sound Disappear?

The y sound disappears in two documented cases. First, after ㅈ, ㅉ and ㅊ in verb forms, 져, 쪄 and 쳐 are pronounced [저], [쩌] and [처]. Second, ㅖ in most words other than 예 and 례 may be pronounced [ㅔ]. Both rules come from the Standard Pronunciation of Korean (표준 발음법), Article 5.

Honest limit: these are exceptions, not the norm. In most words, the y-glide is clear and necessary, as in 여름 and 야구. Learn the pattern first, then the exceptions.

Which Y-Vowel Should You Learn First?

Learn the y-vowels in the order ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ, then ㅖ and ㅒ. This order follows the plain vowels ㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ you already know and leaves the rarer compound pair for last. If you have a specific goal, the questions below help you choose.

1. Do you want to read polite sentences quickly? Start with ㅛ, because -요 ends most polite sentences.
2. Do you want the most common words? Learn ㅕ and ㅑ first. 여자, 여름, 겨울, 야구 and 약 appear in beginner books.
3. Do you want to read English loanwords? Learn ㅠ for 뉴스, 컴퓨터 and 유튜브.
4. Do you read dialogue? Add ㅒ and ㅖ for 얘기, 걔, 예 and 예쁘다.

Y-Vowels Compared Side by Side

The table compares the six letters by shape, sound and how often beginners meet them. Frequency is a rough guide based on common beginner words, not a count.

The best way to learn them is to practise the whole family together in the Hangul quizzes, and to see how they fit the full set of 21 in all Korean vowels.

This page does not cover consonants, final sounds or grammar. Those topics have their own sections; the Korean y vowels covered here are the vowel half of that foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions