Lessons · Level 0
0-3. The 6 tones — the heart of Vietnamese
Sáu thanh điệu
🎯 Goal Hear and tell apart the 6 tones · about 30 min
Change the tone, change the word
In Vietnamese, the same letters mean completely different things depending on the pitch of the voice (tone). There are 6 tones, shown by marks above or below the letters.
In this app each tone has its own color and arrow. Listen while looking at the tone chart below.
Southern note: in Ho Chi Minh City, hỏi and ngã are pronounced almost the same (dipping down, then rising). So to Southerners it really sounds like 5 tones. At first it's fine to practice both with the hỏi sound.
The 6 tones with ma
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| ma | ghost ngang (level tone) — no mark. Flat, at normal pitch | ma |
| mà | but, which huyền — starts low and falls slowly, even lower | ma |
| má | mom (Southern) / cheek sắc — rises high. In the South, 'mom' is má | ma |
| mả | grave hỏi — dips down, then rises again (question-mark-shaped mark) | ma |
| mã | horse / code ngã — North: rises with a break in the voice / South: almost the same as hỏi | ma |
| mạ | rice seedling nặng — low, short and cut off abruptly (dot under the letter) | ma |
Tone practice with everyday words
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| bán | to sell sắc | bang |
| bàn | table huyền | bang |
| bạn | friend, you nặng | bang |
| bà | grandmother huyền | ba |
| chợ | market nặng | chuh |
| phở | pho hỏi | fuh |
| sữa | milk ngã (said like hỏi in the South) | sew-uh |
| nhà | house huyền | nya |
| đi | to go ngang | dee |
| cá | fish sắc | ka |
What happens when you get the tone wrong
- bán (sell) ↔ bàn (table) ↔ bạn (friend) — at the market, 'Do you sell it?' can come out as 'Are you a friend?'.
- Even with the wrong tone, people often understand you from context, so don't worry. But tones matter for numbers and prices (practice in 0-5).
- The most important habit: when you learn a new word, learn its tone too.