모음
mo'eum[ˈmo̞(ː)ɯm]
The Korean word for "vowels" is 모음 (mo'eum).
모음 refers to the speech sounds produced without blocking the flow of air from the lungs.
How do you pronounce it?
mo'eum
Did you know?
- In the Korean alphabet, vowels are visually represented by combinations of dots and lines, mirroring the philosophy of Heaven, Earth and Humanity.
- The Sino-Korean word 모음 literally translates to 'mother sound'.
- The Korean writing system is an 'alphabetical syllabary', meaning vowels are not written in a line but are stacked or wrapped around consonants into blocks.
Examples in context
- 이 단어에는 모음이 없어요.i daneoeneun moeumi eopseoyo.There are no vowels in this word.
- 모음을 정확하게 발음해야 해요.moeumeul jeonghwakhage bareumhaeya haeyo.You must pronounce the vowels accurately.
Example conversation
A student is asking a teacher about Korean pronunciation.
- 서연 Seo-yeon선생님, 모음 발음이 너무 어려워요.seonsaengnim, moeum bareumi neomu eoryeowoyo.Teacher, vowel pronunciation is too difficult.
- 도현 Do-hyeon천천히 연습하면 잘할 수 있어요.cheoncheonhi yeonseup-hamyeon jalhal su isseoyo.If you practice slowly, you can do well.
- 서연 Seo-yeon어떤 모음을 더 연습할까요?eotteon moeumeul deo yeonseup-halkkayo?Which vowels should I practice more?
- 도현 Do-hyeon기본적인 모음부터 시작해 보세요.gibonjeogin moeumbuteo sijak-hae boseyo.Try starting from the basic vowels.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 모음, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 모음, CC BY-SA 4.0.
