📈 Understanding Korean Proficiency Levels & TOPIK Alignment

Confused by Hangul vowels? Learn 10 core vowels plus 7 common combos, see right-vs-below block layouts, and read real words—with a quick quiz and 3 action tasks.

📚 Series Overview — “Learn Hangul Online”

This absolute-beginner series teaches you to read Hangul step by step—short practice, online tools, and official resources included.

1. #1 Why Hangul Is Easy + Syllable Block Basics
2. #2 Consonants (자음) — Read Your First Words
3. #3 Vowels (모음) — Build More Syllables 🔥
4. #4 Batchim (Final Consonants) — Real-life Reading
5. #5 Typing & Tools — Phone/PC Setup + Practice Routes

Beginner Series — 시작이 반이에요! 꾸준하게 하면서 실력을 쌓아봐요. ✨

This is Part 3 of our “Learn Hangul Online” mini-series for absolute beginners.

🎯 Learning Goal

• Understand how vowel shape decides the block layout: right vs below.
• Learn 10 core vowels and 7 frequent combos to unlock many new words.
• KR: 모음의 배치 규칙과 핵심 모음/이중모음을 익혀 실제 단어 읽기 연습.

📑 Table of Contents

Click to expand

1. Vowel Map (10)
2. Layout Rules — Right vs Below
3. Common Combos (7)
4. Read Real Words
5. Quick Quiz (Reveal)
6. ✅ Your Turn: 3 Action Tasks (CTA)
7. Teacher’s Tips
8. Did You Know?
9. Extra Resources
10. Related Lessons
11. Final Thoughts

1) Vowel Map (10)

Romanization is approximate—use it only as a guide.

• ㅏ a (father) — 아
• ㅑ ya — 야
• ㅓ eo (uh) — 어
• ㅕ yeo — 여
• ㅗ o — 오
• ㅛ yo — 요
• ㅜ u — 우
• ㅠ yu — 유
• ㅡ eu — 으
• ㅣ i — 이

Practice: Add ㄱ → 가 거 고 구 그 기 / 갸 겨 교 규 그 기.

2) Layout Rules — Right vs Below

• Right of the consonant: ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅣ → 가, 겨, 기
• Below the consonant: ㅗ ㅛ ㅜ ㅠ ㅡ → 고, 규, 그
• Vowel-initial blocks use the silent ㅇ at the start: 아, 어, 오, 우, 으, 이

Say and trace with your finger where the vowel sits (right/below). This physical cue helps memory.

3) Common Combos (7)

• ㅐ = ae (애) · ㅔ = e (에)
• ㅚ = oe/we (외) · ㅟ = wi (위)
• ㅘ = wa (와) · ㅝ = wo (워)
• ㅢ = ui (의; often ui/e depending on position)

Blend with ㄱ: 개, 게, 괴, 귀, 과, 궈, 의

4) Read Real Words

Try first; then reveal.

우유

우유 — uyu — milk

요리

요리 — yori — cooking

의자

의자 — uija/ui-ja — chair

회사

회사 — hoesa/hwesa — company

과일

과일 — gwail — fruit

외국

외국 — oeguk/we-guk — foreign country

5) Quick Quiz (Reveal)

__ + ㅣ + ㄴ → 빈

Answer: ㅂ (bin)

ㄱ + __ (go vs gu?) → 고 / 구

Answer: ㅗ makes go, ㅜ makes gu

ㅎ + __ + ㄴ → 흰 (white)

Answer: ㅟ (hwin)

✅ Your Turn: 3 Action Tasks (CTA)

1. Right vs Below drill (3 min). With ㄱ, build: 가, 거, 기 (right) and 고, 구, 그 (below). Read twice, then shuffle randomly and read faster.
2. Combo boost (2 min). Make 6 blocks: 과, 괴, 귀, 게, 개, 의. Say each three times. Notice the mouth change from o→wa/oe/wi.
3. 30-second speed read. Timer on. Read this line aloud: 우유 회사 요리 과일 외국 의자. Count how many you read clearly.

          Need feedback? I’ll check your vowels →

👩‍🏫 Teacher’s Tips

Anchor each vowel to a mouth picture (+ hand gesture for right/below). Small, quick reps beat long study blocks.

모음을 입 모양 이미지와 연결하고, 오른쪽/아래 제스처를 함께 사용하세요. 짧고 반복적인 연습이 가장 효과적입니다.

💡 Did You Know?

Hangul vowels were designed from three symbols—heaven (·), earth (—), and human (|). Their combinations create today’s vowel shapes.

한글 모음은 하늘(·), 땅(—), 사람(|)의 철학에서 출발해 현재의 모양으로 결합되었다고 설명합니다.

🔗 Extra Resources (Official)

• National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL)
• King Sejong Institute
• TOPIK Official

Printable vowel grids and drills coming soon.

📌 Related Lessons

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🧭 Final Thoughts

You can now build and read many more blocks with vowels and combos. Next up: Batchim (final consonants) to read menus, signs, and names more naturally.

이제 모음과 이중모음으로 다양한 블록을 만들고 읽을 수 있어요. 다음 편은 받침으로 실제 간판/메뉴를 더 자연스럽게 읽어봅니다.

About the Author
I’m a Korean teacher helping beginners read with confidence. Take my class on italki for vowel coaching and reading drills. 🎓

Tags: Learn Hangul, Korean vowels, Beginner Korean, 한글 모음, Korean alphabet, ハングル 母音

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