# How is Seoul pronounced?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-seoul-pronounced/824115>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 7, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-seoul-pronounced/824115 "2018-11-07T03:55:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-seoul-pronounced/824115/6 "2018-11-07T12:25:12Z")

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> [@JB99](#):
>
> It’s pronounced the same as “soul.” Some native speakers will pronounce it as two syllables, “so-ool” but the vowels run together such that it is barely noticeable.

Yea, I agree that _barely noticeable_ is a better description than _not noticeable_. Koreans do have a word identical to “soul/sole”, spelled 솔, which is a type of brush. When listening to both of these words pronounced, the separate syllables, and slight vowel differences in Seoul are more noticeable to me. Still much closer to soul that sool, though.

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