How to Pronounce 없어요: Sounds, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Say 없어요 as [업써요] in three even beats.
• Say 없다 as [업따] and 없는 as [엄는].
• Explain why the ㅅ moves and turns tense before a vowel.
• Contrast 없어요 with 있어요 [이써요].

Before you start: know that a batchim is the final consonant at the bottom of a block, and a double batchim is a pair of them. The lesson takes about 10 minutes, and audio plays only when you press a button.

Last updated: 2026-10-09. The Korean text, romanization and audio scripts on this page were generated and reviewed and signed off by Min-ji Park on 15 October 2026.

How to Pronounce 없어요 in Three Steps

To pronounce 없어요, say eop-sseo-yo with three even beats and a firm, tense "sseo". Read the steps in order.

1. 없, said as 업 (eop). Say "uh" with relaxed lips, then close the lips for ㅂ and stop. Do not release the sound.
2. 어, said as 써 (sseo). The ㅅ of 없 moves here. Make it tense: tight tongue, little air, a short firm "sseo".
3. 요 (yo). A quick "yo".

You will know it worked when your lips close on the first beat and the second beat starts with a crisp "ss". Next, the rule behind it.

Which Rule Changes 없어요?

The rule that changes 없어요 is the vowel-ending rule for double batchim. Article 14 of the Standard Pronunciation Rules (표준 발음법) of the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) says that when a double batchim is followed by a vowel, only the second consonant moves to the next syllable, and a moved ㅅ is pronounced tense. In 없어요 the double batchim is ㅄ, so the ㅂ stays and the ㅅ moves onto 어 as ㅆ. The standard lists 없어 as [업써].

For the full chart, see double batchim ㅄ, and for the linking pattern, see double batchim liaison. The tense ㅆ is a result of the move and not a separate rule. Now the related forms.

How Does 없어요 Change in Other Forms?

없어요 changes by what follows the ㅄ: a vowel splits it, ㄷ makes the next sound tense, and ㄴ makes the ㅂ nasal. The table lists the three forms and the opposite word.

Hear the dictionary form, the modifier form and the opposite.

The nasal change in 없는 is the same one that turns 합니다 into [함니다], explained in ㅂ nasalization. A full sentence shows the polite form in use.

In this sentence 시간이 is spoken [시가니], because the ㄴ at the bottom of 간 moves onto the particle 이. Now one complete trace.

Worked Example: from Spelling to Sound

The worked example below traces 없어요 from the written form to the spoken form. Follow each step.

1. Split into blocks. 없 / 어 / 요.
2. Find the batchim. 없 ends in the double batchim ㅄ (ㅂ + ㅅ).
3. Look at what follows. 어 starts with a silent ㅇ, which means a vowel sound follows.
4. Apply the rule. The first consonant ㅂ stays on 없. The second consonant ㅅ moves onto 어 and becomes tense.
5. Write the spoken form. 업 + 써 + 요 = [업써요].
6. Say it aloud and check for closed lips on the first beat and a tense "sseo".

The same routine, split, find the batchim, look at the next sound, apply the rule, works for every word on this site. It is taught in full in the batchim method. Now the usual mistakes.

Why Do Learners Say Eopseoyo with a Plain S?

Learners say a plain "seo", or pronounce both consonants of the batchim, because they read letter by letter. Four assumptions cause most errors.

• Learners often assume that the ㅅ in 없어요 is a plain "s". Actually the moved ㅅ is tense, because the standard pronounces a moved ㅅ as ㅆ.
• Learners often assume that 없어요 is spoken [어브서요]. Actually the ㅂ stays on 없 and only the ㅅ moves, because it is a double batchim.
• Learners often assume that 없는 is spoken [업는]. Actually the ㅂ becomes ㅁ before ㄴ, because a final ㅂ turns into the nasal ㅁ before ㄴ or ㅁ (Article 18).
• Learners often assume that 있어요 and 없어요 differ in the last syllables. Actually the difference is only in the first syllable, 이 against 업.

Fix the first assumption and the others follow. Now test yourself.

Practice and Answer Key

Do the exercises after listening. Cover the answer key until you finish.

1. Polite. How is 없어요 pronounced?
2. Dictionary. How is 없다 pronounced?
3. Modifier. How is 없는 pronounced?
4. Opposite. How is 있어요 pronounced?
5. Tense. Which consonant turns tense when ㅄ moves forward?

Answer key: 1. [업써요]. 2. [업따]. 3. [엄는]. 4. [이써요]. 5. ㅅ.

Common questions follow.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I pronounce 없어요? Say [업써요]: eop, sseo, yo. The ㅂ of the double batchim ㅄ stays on the first syllable and closes the lips. The ㅅ moves onto 어 as a tense ㅆ, giving "sseo". The last syllable is a quick "yo". Revised Romanization writes the word as eopseoyo.

Is 없어요 pronounced 업써요? Yes. The ㅄ splits when a vowel follows: ㅂ stays and ㅅ moves forward. The moved ㅅ is spoken tense, so the third beat is "sseo", not "seo". The same pattern gives 값이 as [갑씨], and it is described by the double batchim rule for vowel endings.

Why is 없는 pronounced 엄는? Before ㄴ, the ㅄ first reduces to ㅂ, and then ㅂ becomes the nasal ㅁ because ㄴ follows. Two rules apply in turn: simplification of the double batchim, then nasalization. The result is [엄는]. Say the lips closed on the "m", then open for "neun".

What is the opposite of 없어요? The opposite is 있어요 (isseoyo), meaning "there is" or "I have". It is spoken [이써요], with the ㅆ moving onto 어 in the same way. The pair 있어요 and 없어요 differ only in the first syllable, so listen for the closed lips of 업 against the open 이.

Next Steps and Scope

How to pronounce 없어요 comes down to one rule: the ㅄ splits before a vowel, with ㅂ staying and a tense ㅅ moving, giving [업써요]. This lesson does not cover every use of 없다, it does not score your speech, and the sample sentence is a short model reviewed and signed off by Min-ji Park on 15 October 2026. The word is very common, so it repays practice. Continue with double batchim ㅄ, and return to How to Pronounce Korean Words for the word list.

Next in the series: How to Pronounce 읽어요.