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Korean

HangulThe alphabet

More vowels

ㅐ ㅔ, the y-vowels and the w-vowels

One extra stroke adds a "y": ㅏ → ㅑ (ya), ㅓ → ㅕ (yeo), ㅗ → ㅛ (yo), ㅜ → ㅠ (yu).

ㅐ (ae) and ㅔ (e) sound almost the same today (both like "e" in "bed"). ㅒ (yae) and ㅖ (ye) likewise.

W-vowels combine ㅗ or ㅜ with another vowel:

ㅘ = ㅗ+ㅏ wa 와
ㅙ = ㅗ+ㅐ wae 왜
ㅚ = ㅗ+ㅣ oe (said "we") 외
ㅝ = ㅜ+ㅓ wo 워
ㅞ = ㅜ+ㅔ we 웨
ㅟ = ㅜ+ㅣ wi 위
ㅢ = ㅡ+ㅣ ui 의

ㅢ is read "ui" at the start of a word, "i" after a consonant (희 = hi), and "e" as the possessive particle 의.

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