Guides · Vowels · 모음

ㅓ vs ㅗ: how to tell them apart ㅓ와 ㅗ의 차이

ㅓ [eo] and ㅗ [o] are one of the vowel pairs that beginners mix up most, because English has no clean match for either. The short answer: look at the lips. For ㅓ the mouth is open and the lips are relaxed. For ㅗ the lips are round and the opening is small.

Hear and see both 소리와 입 모양

ㅓ

[eo]sounds like “uh”

Tongue position · 혀의 위치

Open 2 little-fingers wide, tongue at mid height and pulled back. 입을 새끼손가락 두 개만큼 벌리세요. 혀는 중간 높이에서 뒤로 당기세요.

ㅗ

[o]sounds like “oh”

Tongue position · 혀의 위치

Round your lips. Tongue tip down, back of tongue raised. 입술을 동그랗게 만드세요. 혀끝은 아래로 내리고, 혀의 뒤쪽은 올리세요.

What is different 무엇이 다른가

	ㅓ [eo]	ㅗ [o]
Lips	Relaxed. Not rounded.	Rounded into a small circle.
Mouth	Open, about two little fingers wide.	More closed.
Tongue	Mid height, pulled back.	Tip down, back of the tongue raised. Higher than for ㅓ.

If you remember only one thing, remember the lips. You can check it in a mirror: with ㅓ your mouth stays open and your lips do not move forward, with ㅗ your lips close into a small circle.

Why they are hard for English speakers 왜 헷갈리는가

“eo” is one sound. The romanization uses two letters, but ㅓ is a single vowel. It is not “e” followed by “o”.
English “oh” moves. Korean ㅗ does not. When you say “oh” in English, your lips keep closing toward “oo” at the end. For ㅗ, round your lips first and hold them still.
ㅓ is near “uh”, but more open. Start from “uh”, open your mouth a little more and pull your tongue back. Keep your lips relaxed. If your lips start to round, it turns into ㅗ.

A way to practise 연습하는 방법

Say ㅓ with your mouth open and your lips relaxed. Hold the sound.
Without stopping your voice, slowly round your lips into a small circle. The sound changes into ㅗ.
Go back and forth: 어 – 오 – 어 – 오. Watch a mirror. Your lips should open and round each time.
Record yourself and listen. It is much easier to hear the difference in a recording than while you are speaking.