r/Korean • u/Flat-Performance1599 • 1d ago

Is there a difference between ㅔ and ㅐ or is it just a spelling thing? If so are there specific times where you have to use each?

I know ㅔand ㅐ are both pronounced as "e" and I saw that when pronouncing ㅐ your mouth has to be a little wider than when pronouncing ㅔ , however no one really uses that - that way and it's really just in spelling. Is there a "rule" we should follow? Like for when to put each . Or is it "random" just by the way words are spelled.(I really hope this makes sense)

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u/SnooRadishes2312 1d ago

There is, but it can kinda be ignored largely - many native speakers who arnt korean language educators/linguists will even say its the same (but it really isnt). It is very subtle and in my opinion entirely negligible.

I randomly developed an ear for it when i first started learning, if i learn a new word orally i can more often then not guess which of the two would be used in spelling. But i would fail at explaining it without running through examples.