Master more diphthongs
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| This is the ㅙ (wae) sound, this is the ㅞ (we) sound, and this is the ㅚ (oe) sound. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to tell them apart, PLUS you'll be practicing them and on your way to perfect pronunciation! |
| I'm Joyce, and this is Korean Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| First is ㅙ (wae). This is the ㅙ (wae) sound in 왜 (wae) "why," 돼지 (dwae-ji) "pig," and other words. |
| ㅞ (we) is the sound in 웨이터 (we-i-teo) "waiter," 웨딩 (we-ding) "wedding," and other words. |
| ㅚ (oe) is the sound in 외국 (oe-guk) "foreign country," 외출 (oe-chul) "going out," and other words. |
| These three vowels are called double vowels or, more properly, diphthongs. |
| To make the ㅙ (wae) sound: start with your lips rounded as if saying ㅗ (o as in "go"), then transition into the ㅐ sound by lowering your jaw slightly and spreading your lips a bit more. It's similar to the WA sound in "wax." |
| ㅙ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅙ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅙ |
| To make the ㅞ (we) sound: start by rounding your lips as if saying ㅜ (oo as in "moon"), then transition into the ㅔ sound by slightly lowering your jaw and keeping your lips slightly rounded. It's similar to the WE sound in "wet." |
| ㅞ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅞ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅞ |
| To make the ㅚ (oe) sound: begin with ㅗ (o), and glide into ㅣ (i). The starting point is different compared to ㅞ, ㅗ (o) is less rounded and more open than ㅜ (u). |
| ㅚ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅚ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅚ |
| The difference between these sounds lies in the shape of the lips. |
| ㅙ is pronounced with the lips rounded as if saying o and the jaws slightly lowered. |
| ㅞ is pronounced with the lips rounded as if saying oo and the jaws slightly lowered. |
| ㅚ is pronounced with the lips slightly less rounded but more open. |
| Listen carefully and repeat after me. |
| ㅙ ㅞ ㅚ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅙ ㅞ ㅚ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ㅙ ㅞ ㅚ |
| While these diphthongs may sound similar in casual speech, focusing on the shape of your lips will help you clearly differentiate between them. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| 궤 (gwe)/괴 (goe) |
| "chest, box"/"monster, strange thing" |
| (space for repetition) |
| 궤 (gwe)/괴 (goe) |
| "chest, box"/"monster, strange thing" |
| 왜 (wae)/외 (oe) |
| "why"/"outside, foreign" |
| (space for repetition) |
| 왜 (wae)/외 (oe) |
| "why"/"outside, foreign" |
| 췌장 (chwae-jang)/최장 (choe-jang) |
| "pancreas"/"the longest" |
| (space for repetition) |
| 췌장 (chwae-jang)/최장 (choe-jang) |
| "pancreas"/"the longest" |
| 궤도 (gwe-do)/괴도 (goe-do) |
| "orbit"/"mysterious thief" |
| (space for repetition) |
| 궤도 (gwe-do)/괴도 (goe-do) |
| "orbit"/"mysterious thief" |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focussing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound pronounced with the lips rounded as in o and the jaws low? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ㅙ |
| (1) |
| ㅙ |
| Do you remember the sound pronounced with the lips rounded as in oo and the jaws low? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ㅞ |
| (1) |
| ㅞ |
| And the sound pronounced with the lips slightly less rounded but more open? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ㅚ |
| (1) |
| ㅚ |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. |
| 궤 (gwe)/괴 (goe) |
| "chest, box"/"monster, strange thing" |
| (1) |
| 궤 (gwe)/괴 (goe) |
| "chest, box"/"monster, strange thing" |
| (1) |
| Let's try another. |
| 왜 (wae)/외 (oe) |
| "why"/"outside, foreign" |
| (1) |
| 왜 (wae)/외 (oe) |
| "why"/"outside, foreign" |
| (1) |
| Now listen to the following sentences. |
| 궤 속에 괴물이 숨어 있어요. |
| (Gwe sok-e goe-mul-i sum-eo iss-eo-yo.) |
| "A monster is hiding in the chest." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 궤, 괴 |
| 왜 외국에 가고 싶어요? |
| (Wae oe-gug-e ga-go sip-eo-yo?) |
| "Why do you want to go abroad?" |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 왜, 외 |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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