The 11 Compound Vowels Are Just Two Vowels Squashed Together
γ γ γ γ γ ’ and the rest look like new letters. They are not β each one is two vowels you already know, sitting side by side.
You learn the ten basic vowels, feel good about it, and then meet μ or μ and wonder where those came from.
Good news: nothing new is going on. Every compound vowel is two basic vowels written next to each other, and it usually sounds like the two of them said quickly.
Add γ £, get a new vowel
The simplest group. Take a basic vowel, stick γ £ on the end, and you have a compound.
Look at the shapes rather than the sounds and this becomes obvious. γ plus γ £ is literally γ β the two letters are standing together.
Build these in the Hangul Builder
- β’γ + γ £ = γ
- β’γ + γ £ = γ
- β’γ + γ £ = γ
- β’γ + γ £ = γ
- β’γ + γ £ = γ
- β’γ + γ £ = γ
- β’γ ‘ + γ £ = γ ’
The w-sounds are γ or γ in front
The other four start with γ or γ . When one of those leads into another vowel, your lips are already rounded, and the result is a w gliding into the second sound.
You do not need to memorise these as separate items either. Read them as the two vowels they are made of.
- β’γ + γ = γ , as in κ³ΌμΌ
- β’γ + γ = γ , as in μ
- β’γ + γ = γ , as in λ
- β’γ + γ = γ , as in μ¨λ©
Why γ pairs with γ but never γ
You will never see γ combined with γ , or γ combined with γ . That is not an accident.
γ and γ are both bright vowels; γ and γ are both dark. Compounds only form within the same group, which cuts the number of possible combinations roughly in half.
So if a combination looks wrong to you, it probably is. That instinct arrives faster than you would expect once you have read a few hundred words.
γ ’ is the odd one
γ ’ is the only compound that regularly gets pronounced in more than one way depending on where it sits in a word, which is why it feels slippery early on.
Do not spend time on the variations yet. Learn it as γ ‘ plus γ £, recognise it on the page, and let the pronunciation settle through listening.
Where they show up in a block
Compound vowels follow the same block rules as basic ones. A vertical shape goes to the right of the consonant, a horizontal one goes underneath, and a mixed one wraps around.
κ΄ is a good example to stare at for a second: γ± on the left, γ tucked under it, γ on the right, γ΄ at the bottom. Four pieces in one square, and it still reads left-to-right then top-to-bottom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need all eleven right away?
- No. γ , γ , γ and γ carry most of the early load. The rest will turn up often enough that you will pick them up without a dedicated study session.
Are compound vowels harder to say than basic ones?
- Usually easier, because most of them are close to sounds English already has. The difficulty is reading them quickly, not producing them.
How do I type them?
- On a Korean keyboard the two-part ones are typed as their two parts in order. γ is γ then γ . The keyboard combines them for you, which is a nice reminder that they really are two vowels.