Vietnamese Vowels
Vowels: 11 single vowels, diphthongs, and triphthongs
Can distinguish and pronounce all 11 Vietnamese single vowels and common diphthongs
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Ăn cơm chưa? — Ăn rồi.
Have you eaten yet? — Already ate.
Cô ấy rất đẹp.
She is very beautiful.
Tôi yêu gia đình tôi.
I love my family.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Nguyên âm — Vietnamese Vowels
Vietnamese has 11 single vowels — more than most European languages. They come in related pairs that differ by mouth rounding or length.
| Vowel | IPA | Like... | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | /aː/ | 'father' (long) | ba (three/dad) |
| ă | /a/ | 'cut' (short) | ăn (eat) |
| â | /ə/ | 'about' (schwa) | ân (grace) |
| e | /ɛ/ | 'bed' | em (younger sibling) |
| ê | /e/ | 'café' | mê (passionate) |
| i/y | /i/ | 'see' | đi (go) |
| o | /ɔ/ | 'law' (open) | lo (worry) |
| ô | /o/ | 'go' (closed) | cô (aunt/Miss) |
| ơ | /əː/ | 'fur' (unrounded) | mơ (dream) |
| u | /u/ | 'blue' | mù (blind) |
| ư | /ɯ/ | no English equiv. | từ (word/from) |
Key pairs: a/ă/â (long/short/schwa), e/ê (open/closed), o/ô/ơ (open-round/closed-round/unrounded), u/ư (rounded/unrounded).
Diphthongs: ai, ao, au, âu, ay, ây, eo, êu, ia, iu, oa, oe, oi, ôi, ơi, ua, uô, ưa, ươ, uy.
i vs y: Both represent /i/. Use i after consonants (đi, chi) and y at the start of syllables (yêu = love) or after certain vowels (uy, ay).
Common Error Patterns
Cannot distinguish a, ă, and â
a = long 'ah' (ba = three), ă = short 'a' (ăn = eat), â = schwa/uh (ấy = that). Practice minimal pairs.
Cannot distinguish o, ô, and ơ
o = open round (lo = worry), ô = closed round (cô = Miss), ơ = unrounded (mơ = dream). Say 'oh' → round lips = ô, relax lips = ơ.
Ăn cơm chưa? — Ăn rồi.
Have you eaten yet? — Already ate.
ă in ăn is a SHORT 'a' (like English 'cut'). Compare: an (peace) has LONG 'a'. This greeting is used like 'How are you?'.
Cô ấy rất đẹp.
She is very beautiful.
ô in cô (aunt/Miss) is a CLOSED 'o' (like English 'go'). Compare: co (grass) has OPEN 'o' (like 'law').
Tôi yêu gia đình tôi.
I love my family.
yêu (love) uses y + ê + u — a triphthong! Vietnamese has many complex vowel combinations.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises