Lessons · Level 0
0-2. Consonants — focusing on the tricky sounds
Phụ âm
🎯 Goal Read Vietnamese consonants and pronounce them the Southern way · about 25 min
Most consonants are easy
Most Vietnamese consonants are easy for English speakers. The key is telling apart plain sounds (no puff of air) and breathy sounds (with a puff of air).
- c / k, t, p = no puff of air, like the k in 'skin', t in 'stop', p in 'spin'
- kh = raspy k (like 'ch' in Scottish 'loch'; many Southerners say it closer to a breathy k), th = t with a puff of air (as in 'top'), ph = f (English f)
- đ = d (as in 'do'), but d is not a d! In the South it's a 'y' sound.
In Ho Chi Minh City (the South), v, d, gi all sound like 'y'. The pronunciation hints in this app follow Southern pronunciation.
Easy consonants
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| bánh mì | Vietnamese sandwich b = ㅂ, m = ㅁ | ban mee |
| lạnh | cold l = ㄹ | lan |
| mẹ | mother m = ㅁ | meh |
| hai | two h = ㅎ | hai |
| nhà | house nh = 'ny' as in 'canyon' (nha, nhe, nho…) | nya |
| gà | chicken g = ㄱ | ga |
| ghế | chair Before i, e, ê, write gh instead of g (same sound) | gay |
Plain vs breathy sounds
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| cá | fish c = k with no puff of air (like 'skin') | ka |
| kem | ice cream k = same sound as c. Used instead of c before i, e, ê | kem |
| không | no / zero kh = raspy k, scraped in the throat (like 'ch' in 'loch'); in the South often closer to a breathy k | khohng |
| tiền | money t = t with no puff of air (like 'stop') | tee-uhng |
| thích | to like th = t with a puff of air (like 'top') | tiht |
| pin | battery p = p with no puff of air (rare at the start of a word) | pin |
| phở | pho (noodle soup) ph = English f. Not a p! | fuh |
Tricky consonants (Southern pronunciation)
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| đường | street / sugar đ = d as in 'do' (the d with a crossbar) | dew-uhng |
| dạ | yes (polite, Southern) d = South 'y' / North 'z' | ya |
| gì | what gi = South 'y' / North 'z' | yee |
| về | to return v = South 'y' / North 'v' | yay |
| chợ | market ch = ㅉ | chuh |
| trà | tea tr = like 'ch' in 'church' with the tongue curled back (kept apart from ch in the South) | cha |
| xe | vehicle x = ㅆ | seh |
| sáu | six s = s (in the South the tongue is often curled back slightly, toward 'sh') | sao |
| rẻ | cheap r = in the South, a light 'l'-like sound or English r | reh |
| ngon | delicious ng = the 'ng' in 'singer', but at the start of a word. Say 'ng' and go straight into the vowel | ngawng |
| nghe | to listen Before i, e, ê, write ngh instead of ng | ngeh |
| quận | district qu = South 'w' / North 'kw'. Quận 2 = District 2 | wuhng |
Tips you can use right away in a Grab or taxi
People in Ho Chi Minh City say Quận 2 like 'wuhng hai'. If you use the Northern 'kwun hai', drivers may not understand you.
And because d / gi / v all sound like 'y', when a Southerner says 'ya' it's dạ (yes), and 'yee' is gì (what).