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The Korean WorkshopA0

Korean Compound Vowels Quiz: 15 Questions with Feedback

The korean compound vowels quiz is a free 15-question self-test on the 11 compound vowels ㅐ ㅒ ㅔ ㅖ ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ. It checks how each vowel is built from two parts and how it is read in real words, and it explains every answer in one sentence. It runs in your browser with no sign-up.
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Estimated Time: 8 min Prerequisite: Korean Compound Vowels
Adult learners practise Korean together in a Seoul café.
Practise careful listening and recall before checking the answer.

Take the Korean Compound Vowels Quiz

Practice

Read the examples and check your answer.

    사과

    Question 1 replay clip

    원

    Question 2 replay clip

    왜

    Question 3 replay clip

    회사

    Question 4 replay clip

    시계

    Question 6 replay clip

    귀

    Question 10 replay clip

    Practice · 15

    Read the examples and check your answer.

    1. Which compound vowel is ㅗ + ㅏ?

      1. ㅝ
      2. ㅘ
      3. ㅙ
      4. ㅚ
      Show answer

      ㅘ

      ㅘ (wa) as in 사과 (sagwa, apple).

    2. Which vowel is ㅜ + ㅓ?

      1. ㅝ
      2. ㅘ
      3. ㅞ
      4. ㅟ
      Show answer

      ㅝ

      ㅝ (wo) as in 원 (won).

    3. Read 왜 (why). Which romanization is correct?

      1. oe
      2. we
      3. wa
      4. wae
      Show answer

      wae

      왜 contains ㅙ, which is ㅗ + ㅐ, romanized wae.

    4. Which compound vowel appears in 회사 (company)?

      1. ㅙ
      2. ㅞ
      3. ㅚ
      4. ㅟ
      Show answer

      ㅚ

      ㅚ is oe in Revised Romanization, usually sounded like "we".

    5. Which vowel is a glide from ㅡ to ㅣ?

      1. ㅟ
      2. ㅢ
      3. ㅚ
      4. ㅖ
      Show answer

      ㅢ

      ㅢ is ui, as in 의사 (uisa, doctor).

    6. Pick the word that contains ㅖ.

      1. 시계 (clock or watch)
      2. 시장 (market)
      3. 사과 (apple)
      4. 의자 (chair)
      Show answer

      시계 (clock or watch)

      ㅖ is ye, as in 예 and the second block of 시계 (sigye).

    7. Which vowel is ㅏ + ㅣ?

      1. ㅔ
      2. ㅒ
      3. ㅖ
      4. ㅐ
      Show answer

      ㅐ

      ㅐ (ae) joins ㅏ and ㅣ.

    8. Which vowel is ㅓ + ㅣ?

      1. ㅐ
      2. ㅖ
      3. ㅔ
      4. ㅒ
      Show answer

      ㅔ

      ㅔ (e) joins ㅓ and ㅣ.

    9. Which vowel is ㅕ + ㅣ?

      1. ㅒ
      2. ㅖ
      3. ㅔ
      4. ㅢ
      Show answer

      ㅖ

      ㅖ (ye) is the y-version of ㅔ and joins ㅕ and ㅣ.

    10. Which vowel is ㅜ + ㅣ, as in 귀 (ear)?

      1. ㅟ
      2. ㅢ
      3. ㅚ
      4. ㅝ
      Show answer

      ㅟ

      ㅟ (wi) joins ㅜ and ㅣ.

    11. Which vowel is ㅜ + ㅔ?

      1. ㅙ
      2. ㅝ
      3. ㅚ
      4. ㅞ
      Show answer

      ㅞ

      ㅞ (we) joins ㅜ and ㅔ and sounds close to ㅙ and ㅚ.

    12. How many compound vowels are there?

      1. 10
      2. 8
      3. 11
      4. 21
      Show answer

      11

      The compound vowels are ㅐ ㅒ ㅔ ㅖ ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ, eleven in total.

    13. Which three compound vowels sound alike for most modern speakers?

      1. ㅘ, ㅝ and ㅟ
      2. ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ
      3. ㅐ, ㅒ and ㅖ
      4. ㅢ, ㅟ and ㅘ
      Show answer

      ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ

      All three are heard as "we" in everyday speech, so spelling must be learned with the word.

    14. Which word means "crab": 개 or 게?

      1. 게
      2. 개
      3. Both
      4. Neither
      Show answer

      게

      게 is crab and 개 is dog. ㅐ and ㅔ sound alike, so the meaning must be learned with the spelling.

    15. How is ㅢ read in the possessive particle 의?

      1. Always ui
      2. Like 오
      3. Like 아
      4. Often like 에 (e)
      Show answer

      Often like 에 (e)

      The NIKL Standard Pronunciation rules give ui [의] as the standard reading of the possessive 의 and also allow 에 (e), which is very common in speech.

    Follow these steps. Each one tells you what you should see.

    1. Read the question and say any Korean text aloud once. You should see four choices.
    2. Pick one choice by click, tap or by pressing 1, 2, 3 or 4. The Check button turns active.
    3. Select Check. You see "Correct" or "Not quite", the right answer and a one-sentence reason. Select Next.
    4. After question 15, read the summary. It shows how many answers were correct in this session and links to the lesson and deck for the questions you missed.

    Question order and choice order change every session, so a retake is never the same sequence. If a question shows two parts, such as ㅗ + ㅏ, build the vowel in your head before you look at the choices.

    What Does the Korean Compound Vowels Quiz Cover?

    Illustrated practice cards: 개, gae, 게, ge
    Use these examples to practise the rule in this section.

    The quiz has 15 questions on the 11 compound vowels. Seven ask you to build a vowel from its parts. Three ask you to read a vowel in a word such as 왜, 회사 or 시계. Two test the vowel ㅢ, one asks for the count, and two target the sound traps: the three vowels that merge in sound, and ㅐ against ㅔ.

    Vowel group Letters Parts
    ae-group ㅐ ㅔ ㅏ + ㅣ and ㅓ + ㅣ
    y-ae-group ㅒ ㅖ ㅑ + ㅣ and ㅕ + ㅣ
    w-group ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅗ or ㅜ followed by another vowel
    glide ㅢ ㅡ + ㅣ

    The lesson that explains the whole set is Korean compound vowels. This quiz assumes you know the ten basic vowels from the Hangul vowels quiz.

    How Is the Korean Compound Vowels Quiz Scored?

    The quiz gives one point for each of the 15 questions you answer correctly on the first try in the current session. At the end it shows a line such as "You answered 12 of 15 correctly in this session", and the same wording appears in the page data. There is no timer, no streak and no ranking, so you can slow down and say each answer aloud.

    The count is not a CEFR level, a TOPIK level or a measure of fluency. It only shows what you recalled today. Your answers and score stay in your browser and disappear when you close the tab, unless you choose to save progress on your own device. Questions on ㅚ, ㅙ and ㅞ accept the spelling and the Revised Romanization, not a single spoken sound, because many speakers pronounce the three alike.

    What Should You Know about Compound Vowels First?

    Illustrated practice cards: 사과, sagwa, 의사, uisa
    Use these examples to practise the rule in this section.

    A compound vowel is a Hangul vowel formed by joining two basic vowel shapes. Reading one means reading its two parts in order. Revised Romanization gives each a fixed spelling.

    Vowel Parts RR Example word
    ㅐ ㅏ + ㅣ ae 개 (gae, dog)
    ㅒ ㅑ + ㅣ yae 얘 (yae, this child)
    ㅔ ㅓ + ㅣ e 게 (ge, crab)
    ㅖ ㅕ + ㅣ ye 예 (ye, yes in some uses)
    ㅘ ㅗ + ㅏ wa 사과 (sagwa, apple)
    ㅙ ㅗ + ㅐ wae 왜 (wae, why)
    ㅚ ㅗ + ㅣ oe 회사 (hoesa, company)
    ㅝ ㅜ + ㅓ wo 원 (won)
    ㅞ ㅜ + ㅔ we 웨딩 (weding, wedding)
    ㅟ ㅜ + ㅣ wi 귀 (gwi, ear)
    ㅢ ㅡ + ㅣ ui 의사 (uisa, doctor)

    Which Compound Vowels Sound the Same?

    Spelling gives 11 vowels, but speech has fewer sounds. In everyday speech ㅐ and ㅔ merge into one sound like the "e" in "bed". ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ all sound close to "we". Because of this, you cannot spell 개 (dog) and 게 (crab) from sound alone. Learn the spelling with the word.

    Why Does ㅢ Have Several Readings?

    ㅢ is the most flexible vowel. It is read ui at the start of a word, as in 의사. After a consonant in the same block, as in 희, it is read like ㅣ. As the possessive marker 의 it may be read like ㅔ. The NIKL Standard Pronunciation rules allow these variants. This quiz asks the main reading and states the context in the reason.

    Sample Questions with Answers

    Illustrated practice cards: 회사, hoesa, 귀, gwi
    Use these examples to practise the rule in this section.

    These six questions come from the quiz, with the answer and the reason for each. They also work as a no-JavaScript preview. The fourth sample shows why Revised Romanization letters and sound can differ.

    Sample Question 1 and Its Answer

    Question: Which compound vowel is ㅗ + ㅏ?

    Choices: ㅝ; ㅘ; ㅙ; ㅚ.

    Answer: ㅘ. Why: ㅘ (wa) as in 사과 (sagwa, apple).

    Sample Question 2 and Its Answer

    Question: Which vowel is ㅜ + ㅓ?

    Choices: ㅝ; ㅘ; ㅞ; ㅟ.

    Answer: ㅝ. Why: ㅝ (wo) as in 원 (won).

    Sample Question 3 and Its Answer

    Question: Read 왜 (why). Which romanization is correct?

    Choices: oe; we; wa; wae.

    Answer: wae. Why: 왜 contains ㅙ, which is ㅗ + ㅐ, romanized wae.

    Sample Question 4 and Its Answer

    Question: Which compound vowel appears in 회사 (company)?

    Choices: ㅙ; ㅞ; ㅚ; ㅟ.

    Answer: ㅚ. Why: ㅚ is oe in Revised Romanization, usually sounded like "we".

    Sample Question 5 and Its Answer

    Question: Which vowel is a glide from ㅡ to ㅣ?

    Choices: ㅟ; ㅢ; ㅚ; ㅖ.

    Answer: ㅢ. Why: ㅢ is ui, as in 의사 (uisa, doctor).

    Sample Question 6 and Its Answer

    Question: Pick the word that contains ㅖ.

    Choices: 시계 (clock or watch); 시장 (market); 사과 (apple); 의자 (chair).

    Answer: 시계 (clock or watch). Why: ㅖ is ye, as in 예 and the second block of 시계 (sigye).

    Tips before You Start

    • Break each compound vowel into its two parts before you choose.
    • Answer ㅐ and ㅔ spelling questions from the word, not from the sound.
    • Listen for the quick w glide at the start of ㅘ and ㅝ.
    • Take the vowels quiz first if you are unsure of the ten basic vowels.

    Which Mistakes Does the Korean Compound Vowels Quiz Catch?

    Illustrated practice cards: 개, gae, 게, ge
    Use these examples to practise the rule in this section.

    Four errors repeat across learners.

    • Reading ㅘ as two separate sounds "o-a" instead of one glide, "wa".
    • Guessing the ㅐ or ㅔ spelling by sound, which cannot work because the two sound alike.
    • Forgetting that ㅢ has more than one reading, depending on position.
    • Mixing ㅚ with ㅗ, because the romanization "oe" looks like "o".

    What Should You Study after the Quiz?

    Illustrated practice card with lesson steps and a learner studying in Seoul.
    Use these examples to practise the rule in this section.

    Drill the set with the Korean compound vowels flashcards and re-read Korean compound vowels for missed parts. To hear every vowel, open the interactive Hangul alphabet. The next quiz in the Hangul sequence covers the tense letters in the Korean double consonants quiz. For the full overview of all quizzes, see the Hangul quiz collection.

    Answer Key for Questions 7 to 15

    Prefer to test yourself first? Take the quiz above, then check this table. The first six answers are in the sample questions.

    # Question Correct answer Reason
    7 Which vowel is ㅏ + ㅣ? ㅐ ㅐ (ae) joins ㅏ and ㅣ.
    8 Which vowel is ㅓ + ㅣ? ㅔ ㅔ (e) joins ㅓ and ㅣ.
    9 Which vowel is ㅕ + ㅣ? ㅖ ㅖ (ye) is the y-version of ㅔ and joins ㅕ and ㅣ.
    10 Which vowel is ㅜ + ㅣ, as in 귀 (ear)? ㅟ ㅟ (wi) joins ㅜ and ㅣ.
    11 Which vowel is ㅜ + ㅔ? ㅞ ㅞ (we) joins ㅜ and ㅔ and sounds close to ㅙ and ㅚ.
    12 How many compound vowels are there? 11 The compound vowels are ㅐ ㅒ ㅔ ㅖ ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ, eleven in total.
    13 Which three compound vowels sound alike for most modern speakers? ㅙ, ㅚ and ㅞ All three are heard as "we" in everyday speech, so spelling must be learned with the word.
    14 Which word means "crab": 개 or 게? 게 게 is crab and 개 is dog. ㅐ and ㅔ sound alike, so the meaning must be learned with the spelling.
    15 How is ㅢ read in the possessive particle 의? Often like 에 (e) The NIKL Standard Pronunciation rules give ui [의] as the standard reading of the possessive 의 and also allow 에 (e), which is very common in speech.

    What Does This Quiz Not Do?

    The quiz does not test whether you can pronounce the glides smoothly, and it cannot tell which spelling of a merged sound a given word needs unless you have met the word. Pronunciation of ㅢ in the possessive depends on the speaker. All Korean text in the questions and answers was generated and is waiting for review by a Korean reviewer.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the pass mark for this quiz?

    There is no pass mark. The quiz counts correct answers in the session, nothing more. For planning, treat 12 or more of 15 as a signal that the build rules are stable, and any question you missed as a pointer to the lesson. Retake after a day to test memory.

    Are there audio questions?

    Some questions have an optional replay button that plays the word in the question, such as 사과 or 회사. Audio never starts by itself, and each clip is a generated recording approved by Min-ji Park on 15 October 2026. When a clip is unavailable, the button is hidden and the question works as text.

    Do I need to know the basic vowels first?

    Yes, because every compound vowel is made from basic shapes. If ㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ ㅣ and the y-vowels are not yet stable, take the Hangul vowels quiz first. It takes about ten minutes and prepares you for the build questions here.

    How are ㅚ and ㅞ marked if they sound the same?

    Questions ask about spelling, parts or the Revised Romanization of a named word, never for a sound that cannot be told apart. For example, 회사 is marked as a ㅚ word because of its spelling. The reason text explains that ㅚ, ㅙ and ㅞ merge in speech.

    Is the quiz free?

    Yes. The quiz is free, needs no account and runs in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Nothing you answer is uploaded to a server. If you choose to save progress, it is stored on your own device only, and you can delete it in the settings at any time.

    Retake the Korean Compound Vowels Quiz

    Retake the korean compound vowels quiz once you can name the two parts of all 11 vowels without looking. If you still hesitate on the merged sounds, practise word by word with flashcards rather than by rule. The double consonants quiz is the next step in the sequence.