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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

ia[iə]

“ia” is a diphthong in Vietnamese.

Its sound is:

/iə/ (Northern Vietnamese)

/iə/ → /iɜ/ or /iə// (Southern Vietnamese)

It is very similar to the English sound in “ear”, “idea”, “weird”, but shorter and cleaner.

How to pronounce “ia” (Mouth & Tongue Details)

Step 1 — Start with /i/

tongue high and forward

lips unrounded (smile shape)

same as English “see”

Step 2 — Move to /ə/

tongue relaxes and moves slightly backward

mouth opens slightly

lips remain unrounded

similar to English “sofa” unstressed vowel

Important

It is one smooth sound, not “i + a”.

Northern vs Southern

Northern (Hanoi)

Very clear diphthong /iə/

Example: kia = /kiə/

Southern (Saigon)

Often more open at the end /iɜ/

Sounds a bit like English “beer” without the final /r/.

Tones of syllables created by ia
Vowel
1st Tone
2nd Tone
3rd Tone
4th Tone
5th Tone
6th Tone
ia ia ìa ỉa ĩa ía ịa

Pronunciation

ưa[ɯə]

“ưa” is a monophthong-like vowel, but technically a diphthong written as:

/ɯə/ (Northern Vietnamese)

/ɨə/ (Southern Vietnamese — more central)

It does NOT exist in English.

How to pronounce “ưa” (Mouth & Tongue Details)

Step 1 — Start with /ɯ/

This is the Vietnamese unrounded “u”.

Lips: NOT rounded (different from English “u”)

Tongue: high and back

Mouth: only slightly open

This is a very important difference:

English “u”: lips rounded

Vietnamese “ư”: lips NOT rounded

Step 2 — Move to /ə/

tongue moves slightly forward

mouth opens slightly more

lips remain unrounded

ends with a weak central vowel

Important

It is one smooth sound, not “ư + a”.

Do NOT open your mouth wide for “a”.

Northern vs Southern

Northern (Hanoi)

Clear /ɯə/

“ươ” (in tone-changed forms) sounds more closed.

Southern (Saigon)

Often more central: /ɨə/

Sound is slightly more relaxed and open.

Tones of syllables created by ưa
Vowel
1st Tone
2nd Tone
3rd Tone
4th Tone
5th Tone
6th Tone
ưa ưa ừa ửa ữa ứa ựa

Pronunciation

ua[uə]

“ua” is a diphthong pronounced:

/uə/ (Northern Vietnamese)

/uə/ → /uɜ/ (Southern Vietnamese)

It is similar to the English sound in “poor” (British) or “tour”, but shorter and smoother.

How to pronounce “ua” (Mouth & Tongue Details)

Step 1 — Start with /u/

lips rounded and protruded

tongue high and back

same as English “food” /u/

Step 2 — Move to /ə/

lips relax slightly

tongue moves slightly forward and lowers

mouth opens a little

similar to English “sofa” unstressed vowel

resembles a weak “a” sound

Important

The two parts blend smoothly—not “u + a”.

Northern vs Southern

Northern (Hanoi)

Clear and tight diphthong /uə/.

Example: mua = /muə/

Southern (Saigon)

End vowel more open /uɜ/.

Sounds a little like English “poor” (without /r/).

Tones of syllables created by ua
Vowel
1st Tone
2nd Tone
3rd Tone
4th Tone
5th Tone
6th Tone
ua ua ùa ủa ũa úa ụa
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.