What you'll learn
- Say 맛있어요 in both accepted forms, [마시써요] and [마디써요].
- Explain why 맛 and 있어요 are treated as separate words.
- Say the tense ㅆ in [써] correctly.
- Compare 맛있어요 with 맛없어요 [마덥써요].
Before you start: know that a batchim is the final consonant at the bottom of a block. 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 맛있어요 in Four Steps
To pronounce 맛있어요, say ma-si-sseo-yo with four even beats, and make the third beat a tense "sseo". The steps below teach the version with the ㅅ sound, [마시써요].
- 맛, said as 마 (ma). Say "mah". The batchim ㅅ does not close the syllable, because it moves to the next block.
- 있, said as 시 (si). The moved ㅅ joins ㅣ: "see". Some speakers say 디 (di) here, which is the second accepted form.
- 어, said as 써 (sseo). The ㅆ of 있 moves here. Bring the tongue tip close to the ridge behind your upper teeth without touching it, tense it, and say "sseo" with tight muscles and little air.
- 요 (yo). A quick "yo".
You will know it worked when you hear a clear "see" and a firm "sseo" with no breathy puff. Next, the rule behind it.
Which Rule Changes 맛있어요?
The rule is liaison between two words: a batchim links to a following vowel and is spoken on that vowel. Article 15 of the Standard Pronunciation Rules (표준 발음법) of the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) says that when a word with a meaning of its own, such as 있다, starts with a vowel, the batchim before it is first reduced to its representative sound and then moved. For ㅅ, the representative sound is ㄷ.
| Step | What happens | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 맛 and 있어요 are separate words | 맛 + 있어요 |
| 2 | ㅅ reduces to its representative ㄷ | 맏 + 있어요 |
| 3 | ㄷ moves onto the vowel of 있 | 마 + 디써요 |
| 4 | ㅅ is accepted in place of ㄷ for 맛있다 | 마 + 시써요 |
Step 4 is the exception that gives two forms. The standard gives 맛있다 the regular reading [마딛따] and also allows [마싣따], and 맛있어요 follows the same pattern. The steps above teach the ㅅ form, but the rule accepts either. Compare this with a particle: 맛이 (taste + subject) is [마시], because the particle 이 attaches directly and the ㅅ moves without reduction. The same contrast appears with 책이 [채기]. For more word-level cases, see liaison with compounds, and for the ending sound of 맛, see the ㄷ batchim. Now the related forms.
What Is the Difference between 맛있어요 and 맛없어요?
맛있어요 means "it is delicious" and 맛없어요 means "it is not tasty". The first has two accepted spoken forms, and the second has one standard form, [마덥써요].
| Form | Spoken | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 맛있어요 | [마시써요] or [마디써요] | ㅅ links to 있, ㅆ moves onto 어 |
| 맛없어요 | [마덥써요] | ㅅ becomes ㄷ and moves, 없 becomes [업], ㅆ is tense |
| 있어요 | [이써요] | ㅆ moves onto 어 |
Hear the opposite word and the short word 있어요.
In 맛없어요 the first part follows the same reduction, so the ㅅ is spoken as ㄷ: 마더. The only choice between two forms is for 맛있어요. For use at the table, see restaurant phrases and delicious in Korean. Now one complete trace.
Worked Example: from Spelling to Sound
The worked example below traces 맛있어요 from the written form to the spoken form. Follow each step.
- Split into words. 맛 / 있어요.
- Split into blocks. 맛 / 있 / 어 / 요.
- Find the batchim. 맛 ends in ㅅ, and 있 ends in ㅆ.
- Look at what follows. After ㅅ comes 있, which starts with a silent ㅇ. After ㅆ comes 어, which also starts with a silent ㅇ.
- Apply the rule. The ㅅ of 맛 moves onto the vowel of 있, giving 시 (or 디). The ㅆ of 있 moves onto 어, giving 써.
- Write the spoken form. 마 + 시 + 써 + 요 = [마시써요].
The same routine works for every word on this site. It is taught in full in the batchim method. Now the usual mistakes.
What Mistakes Do Learners Make with 맛있어요?
Learners make four predictable mistakes with 맛있어요, mostly from reading letter by letter or following English habits. A light "sh"-like ㅅ before ㅣ is normal Seoul pronunciation, so it is not one of them.
- Learners often assume that 맛 keeps its final sound. Actually the ㅅ moves onto the next syllable, because Korean links a final consonant to a following vowel.
- Learners often assume that only one spoken form is allowed. Actually the standard accepts both [마시써요] and [마디써요], because the word is an exception listed in the rules.
- Learners often assume that ㅆ is a long English "ss". Actually it is a tense, short sound, made with tight muscles and little air.
- Learners often assume that the stress falls on "ma". Actually the four beats are even.
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.
Practice · 7
Which of these is an accepted spoken form of 맛있어요?
Show answer
[마시써요]
The ㅅ of 맛 links to the next syllable and the ㅆ moves onto 어 as a tense sound: [마시써요] (or [마디써요]).
How many spoken forms of 맛있어요 does the standard accept?
Show answer
Two
The standard accepts both [마시써요] and [마디써요], because 맛있다 is an exception listed in the rules.
How is 맛없어요 (it is not tasty) pronounced?
Show answer
[마덥써요]
맛없어요 has one standard form, [마덥써요]: the ㅅ is reduced to ㄷ before it moves. Only 맛있어요 has two forms.
What kind of sound is the ㅆ in [써]?
Show answer
Tense: short, with tight muscles and little air
ㅆ is a tense sound, made with tight muscles and little air, not a long or breathy s.
How is 맛이 (taste, with the subject particle) pronounced?
Show answer
[마시]
The particle 이 attaches directly, so the ㅅ moves without reduction: [마시].
Why is the ㅅ of 맛 first reduced to ㄷ in the regular form [마디써요]?
Show answer
있다 is a word with its own meaning, so the batchim is reduced before it moves
Article 15: before a separate word that starts with a vowel, the batchim is reduced to its representative sound first, then moved.
How many syllables does 맛있어요 have?
Show answer
Four
맛있어요 has four syllables, said ma-si-sseo-yo with four even beats.
- Spoken. Give one accepted spoken form of 맛있어요.
- Count. How many accepted forms does 맛있어요 have?
- Contrast. How is 맛없어요 pronounced?
- Sound. Is ㅆ tense or aspirated?
- Particle. How is 맛이 pronounced?
Answer key: 1. [마시써요] or [마디써요]. 2. Two. 3. [마덥써요]. 4. Tense. 5. [마시].
Common questions follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 맛있어요 pronounced mashisseoyo? Not in the official romanization. Revised Romanization writes 시 as si, so the word is masisseoyo. Some learners write mashisseoyo because ㅅ before ㅣ really does sound close to a light English "sh", but that spelling is unofficial. For the sounds, follow the Hangul and the bracketed form [마시써요], not either romanization.
Why is 맛없어요 pronounced 마덥써요? Because 맛 and 없어요 are separate words, 맛 first becomes [맏], and then the ㄷ moves onto 없: [마더]. Then 없 ends in ㅄ, which gives [업] with a tense ㅆ before 어: [마덥써요]. The word 맛있어요 follows the same path, but its standard allows the second variant [마시써요].
Is the ㅆ in 맛있어요 a tense sound? Yes. ㅆ is the tense form of ㅅ, pronounced with firm, tight muscles and little air. In 맛있어요 the ㅆ of 있 moves onto 어, so the syllable is [써]. Say it with more tension than an English "s", and keep it short, without a puff of breath.
Which form of 맛있어요 is correct, 마시써요 or 마디써요? Both are accepted. Article 15 of the Standard Pronunciation Rules (표준 발음법) gives 맛있다 and 멋있다 the regular reading with the ㄷ sound, [마딛따], and also allows the reading with the ㅅ sound, [마싣따]. Choose one, keep it consistent in your own speech, and expect listeners to understand both.
Next Steps and Scope
How to pronounce 맛있어요 comes down to one idea: 맛 and 있어요 link as two words, and the standard accepts [마시써요] and [마디써요]. This lesson does not cover the many ways to praise food in Korean, it does not score your speech, and it presents the accepted forms without claiming which one is more common. Min-ji Park reviewed and signed off both forms on 15 October 2026. Continue with delicious in Korean for usage, and return to How to Pronounce Korean Words for the word list.
Next in the series: How to Pronounce 사랑해요.