Building Syllables
Assemble a consonant and a vowel into a correctly shaped syllable block by placing the vowel in the right position.
Syllables are blocks, not rows of letters
Korean doesn't string letters left to right like English — every syllable is packed into one square block starting with a consonant, then a vowel. Where that vowel sits inside the block depends entirely on its shape. Get the position right and any consonant + vowel pair becomes a real, readable syllable.
Vertical vowels sit to the right, horizontal vowels sit below
Vowels drawn as a vertical line — ㅏ ㅓ ㅣ ㅐ ㅔ ㅑ ㅕ — sit to the right of the consonant, like ㄴ + ㅏ = 나. Vowels drawn as a horizontal line — ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ ㅛ ㅠ — sit below the consonant instead, like ㄴ + ㅗ = 노 and ㄴ + ㅜ = 누. Same consonant, same sound logic — only the vowel's shape decides where it goes.
ㄴ + ㅏ = 나 (vowel to the right), then ㅁ + ㅜ = 무 (vowel below).
Both syllables use vertical vowels: ㅂ+ㅏ=바, ㄷ+ㅏ=다 — the vowel sits right of the consonant each time.
ㄱ+ㅗ=고 (vowel below), then ㄱ+ㅣ=기 (vowel to the right) — same consonant, two different shapes.
ㄷ+ㅜ=두, ㅂ+ㅜ=부 — both horizontal vowels, both sit below their consonant.
Say it out loud
Listen, then repeat aloud. Matching the rhythm matters more than perfection.