Sound it Out: Break down the word 'seoul' into its individual sounds "sohl". Say these sounds out loud, exaggerating them at first. Practice until you can consistently produce them clearly.

Traditionally, seoul (서울) has been a native Korean (as opposed to Sino-Korean) common noun simply meaning 'capital city.' The word seoul is believed to have descended from Seorabeol (서라벌; historically transliterated into the Hanja form 徐羅伐), which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla.

The name Seoul (서울; IPA: /səˈul/), was originally an old native Korean common noun meaning "capital city." It is believed to have originated from Seorabeol (서라벌; 徐羅伐), which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla, which was then called Geumseong (금성; 金城).