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  3. Vietnamese Pronunciation
  • Front Vowels
  • Central Vowels
  • Back Vowels
  • Diphthong Vowels
  • Labial Consonants
  • Alveolar Consonants
  • Retroflex Consonants
  • Palatal Consonants
  • Velar Consonants
  • Glottal Consonants

Pronunciation

i/y[i]

Vietnamese i is pronounced exactly the same as “y.”

Both are the vowel /i/.

Basic Sound

Vietnamese i = high front unrounded vowel /i/

Same as:

English “see”, “machine”

Articulation Details

Tongue

High (close to the roof of the mouth)

Front (toward the upper front teeth)

The sides of the tongue lightly touch the upper molars.

Lips

Unrounded

Slightly spread or relaxed, like a small smile.

Jaw

Slightly closed, not wide open.

Voicing

Voiced (vocal cords vibrate).

Smooth, steady airflow.

Airflow

Straight out through the mouth.

No friction (not like “sh,” not like “s”).

Tenseness

Compared to English:

Sometimes tenser and clearer.

Not as diphthong-like as English “EE.”

(English sometimes glides toward /ɪ/ at the end; Vietnamese does not.)

Tones of syllables created by i/y
Vowel
1st Tone
2nd Tone
3rd Tone
4th Tone
5th Tone
6th Tone
i i ì ỉ ĩ í ị
y y ỳ ỷ ỹ ý ỵ

Pronunciation

ê[e]

Basic Sound

Vietnamese ê is similar to:

English “ay” in “say,” “lake,” “day” (but no glide)

The pure vowel at the start of “a” in “they” (not ei, just e)

It is a pure monophthong — no diphthong glide like English.

Articulation Details

Tongue

Mid-high (between /e/ and /i/)

Front position

Very slightly tense

Sides of tongue touch the upper molars lightly

Lips

Unrounded

Slightly spread or neutral

Jaw

Partially closed (more closed than “e” but more open than “i”)

Voicing

Voiced (vocal cords vibrate)

Airflow

Smooth airflow

No friction

Tones of syllables created by ê
Vowel
1st Tone
2nd Tone
3rd Tone
4th Tone
5th Tone
6th Tone
ê ê ề ể ễ ế ệ

Pronunciation

e[ɛ]

Basic Sound

Vietnamese e is pronounced like:

English “e” in “bed”, “red”, “men”

NOT like English “say” (which has a glide)

It’s a pure, single vowel (monophthong).

Articulation Details

Tongue

Front of tongue is raised, but lower than ê.

Tongue body is mid-low.

Sides of tongue lightly touch upper teeth.

Lips

Unrounded (not rounded)

Slightly spread, like a gentle smile.

Jaw

Slightly more open than for “ê”

Mouth feels relaxed and open.

Voicing

Voiced (vocal cords vibrate)

Airflow

Smooth and steady

No friction or aspiration

Tones of syllables created by e
Vowel
1st Tone
2nd Tone
3rd Tone
4th Tone
5th Tone
6th Tone
e e è ẻ ẽ é ẹ
Course Image

Greetings

In this material, we have studied 100 commonly used Vietnamese greeting expressions used in everyday conversation. These include greetings for meeting, parting, caring, welcoming, and wishing well, such as “Hello,” “How are you?”, “Nice to meet you,” and “Have a nice day.”

For each sentence, we provided:

• Natural translations in English

• Word-by-word explanations with meanings and parts of speech

• Sentence structure analysis

• Usage notes, including politeness and context

One important feature of Vietnamese greetings is their strong connection to age, social roles, and relationships. This material is designed not only to help learners memorize phrases, but also to understand why a certain expression is used and when it is appropriate.

Whether you are a beginner or a learner aiming to sound natural and polite, this collection serves as a practical and reliable guide to mastering Vietnamese greetings in real-life situations.

Course Image

Love

In this material, we studied 100 Vietnamese sentences focused on romantic expressions.

The phrases cover a wide range of real-life usage, from greetings and caring words to expressions of affection, deep love, emotional support, and promises for the future.

For each sentence, the explanations include:

• Natural translations into English

• Word-by-word meanings

• Parts of speech

• Sentence structure and usage

Vietnamese love expressions are highly sensitive to personal pronouns (such as anh and em) and word order, which strongly affect nuance and emotional distance. Through this study, learners can move beyond memorization and gain the ability to express love naturally, appropriately, and sincerely, depending on the relationship.

This collection is ideal for learners who want to communicate their feelings more deeply and accurately in Vietnamese—whether in conversations, messages, confessions, or heartfelt expressions of love.

    Course Image

    Greetings

    In this material, we have studied 100 commonly used Vietnamese greeting expressions used in everyday conversation. These include greetings for meeting, parting, caring, welcoming, and wishing well, such as “Hello,” “How are you?”, “Nice to meet you,” and “Have a nice day.”

    For each sentence, we provided:

    • Natural translations in English

    • Word-by-word explanations with meanings and parts of speech

    • Sentence structure analysis

    • Usage notes, including politeness and context

    One important feature of Vietnamese greetings is their strong connection to age, social roles, and relationships. This material is designed not only to help learners memorize phrases, but also to understand why a certain expression is used and when it is appropriate.

    Whether you are a beginner or a learner aiming to sound natural and polite, this collection serves as a practical and reliable guide to mastering Vietnamese greetings in real-life situations.

    Course Image

    Love

    In this material, we studied 100 Vietnamese sentences focused on romantic expressions.

    The phrases cover a wide range of real-life usage, from greetings and caring words to expressions of affection, deep love, emotional support, and promises for the future.

    For each sentence, the explanations include:

    • Natural translations into English

    • Word-by-word meanings

    • Parts of speech

    • Sentence structure and usage

    Vietnamese love expressions are highly sensitive to personal pronouns (such as anh and em) and word order, which strongly affect nuance and emotional distance. Through this study, learners can move beyond memorization and gain the ability to express love naturally, appropriately, and sincerely, depending on the relationship.

    This collection is ideal for learners who want to communicate their feelings more deeply and accurately in Vietnamese—whether in conversations, messages, confessions, or heartfelt expressions of love.

      Course Image

      Greetings

      In this material, we have studied 100 commonly used Vietnamese greeting expressions used in everyday conversation. These include greetings for meeting, parting, caring, welcoming, and wishing well, such as “Hello,” “How are you?”, “Nice to meet you,” and “Have a nice day.”

      For each sentence, we provided:

      • Natural translations in English

      • Word-by-word explanations with meanings and parts of speech

      • Sentence structure analysis

      • Usage notes, including politeness and context

      One important feature of Vietnamese greetings is their strong connection to age, social roles, and relationships. This material is designed not only to help learners memorize phrases, but also to understand why a certain expression is used and when it is appropriate.

      Whether you are a beginner or a learner aiming to sound natural and polite, this collection serves as a practical and reliable guide to mastering Vietnamese greetings in real-life situations.

      Course Image

      Love

      In this material, we studied 100 Vietnamese sentences focused on romantic expressions.

      The phrases cover a wide range of real-life usage, from greetings and caring words to expressions of affection, deep love, emotional support, and promises for the future.

      For each sentence, the explanations include:

      • Natural translations into English

      • Word-by-word meanings

      • Parts of speech

      • Sentence structure and usage

      Vietnamese love expressions are highly sensitive to personal pronouns (such as anh and em) and word order, which strongly affect nuance and emotional distance. Through this study, learners can move beyond memorization and gain the ability to express love naturally, appropriately, and sincerely, depending on the relationship.

      This collection is ideal for learners who want to communicate their feelings more deeply and accurately in Vietnamese—whether in conversations, messages, confessions, or heartfelt expressions of love.