Lessons · Level 0
0-4. Final consonants and Southern pronunciation — the sounds of Ho Chi Minh City
Âm cuối & giọng miền Nam
🎯 Goal Pronounce final consonants correctly and understand Southern pronunciation and words · about 25 min
Final consonants: 'close and stop'
Final -c, -t, -p are not released: you close off the sound and stop, with no puff of air at the end (like the k, t, p in 'back', 'cat', 'cup' when you stop just before letting the air out).
Southern pronunciation simplifies final consonants:
- -n → -ng : bạn → 'bang', tiền → 'tee-uhng'
- -t → -c : Việt → 'yee-uhk', một → 'mok'
- -nh → -n : anh → 'an', lạnh → 'lan'
Note: the app's default audio is the standard (Northern) voice. Sentences that have Southern audio play the Southern voice automatically.
Final consonant practice
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| các | plural marker -c = unreleased k | kak |
| tốt | good -t = North: unreleased t / South: like k | tohk |
| đẹp | beautiful -p = unreleased p | dep |
| cơm | cooked rice -m = m | kuhm |
| bạn | friend -n = sounds like ng in the South | bang |
| không | no, zero -ng = 'ng' as in 'sing'. After o/ô/u, close your lips at the end | khohng |
| anh | older brother, you (male) -nh = South 'an' / North 'aing' | an |
| sách | book -ch = South 'at' / North 'aik' | sat |
Southern vs Northern pronunciation
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Việt Nam | Vietnam North: 'vee-et nahm' | yee-uhk nam |
| về nhà | go home North: 'veh nyah' | yay nya |
| Quận 2 | District 2 North: 'kwun hai' | wuhng hai |
| Hàn Quốc | Korea North: 'hahn kwok' | hang wohk |
| người | person Similar in North and South | ngew-ee |
Southern words used in Ho Chi Minh City
| Vietnamese | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| dạ | yes (polite) North: vâng | ya |
| không có chi | you're welcome North: không có gì | khohng kaw chee |
| ly | glass North: cốc | lee |
| heo | pig, pork North: lợn. On menus, thịt heo = pork | heh-oo |
| trái cây | fruit North: hoa quả | chai kuhy |
| muỗng | spoon North: thìa | moo-uhng |
| má | mom North: mẹ | ma |
| ba | dad North: bố | ba |
Which one should I learn?
If you live in Ho Chi Minh City, speak with Southern pronunciation and just understand Northern pronunciation. News, public announcements and TV dramas often use standard Northern speech, so you'll practice that separately in Level 4.
Restaurant staff, market vendors and Grab drivers mostly speak Southern, so make sure to memorize the Southern words above.