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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

nh[ɲ]

Vietnamese nh = the palatal nasal /ɲ/.

It is similar to:

Spanish ñ (as in niño)

French gn (as in chagnon)

Italian gn (as in Bologna)

1. IPA

Vietnamese nh = /ɲ/ (palatal nasal)

2. How to pronounce it (step-by-step)

Tongue position

Lift the middle/front part of your tongue (not the tip) toward the hard palate (roof of your mouth).

Tongue tip stays low behind lower teeth.

The tongue body, not the tip, makes the contact.

Contact point

The front one-third of the tongue touches the hard palate.

This blocks the oral airflow completely.

Airflow

Air goes through the nose, because the velum is lowered (nasal consonant).

Voicing

Your vocal cords vibrate the entire time (this is a voiced sound).

Sound impression

Very similar to:

Spanish ñ in niño

Smooth, soft nasal sound.

Tones of syllables created by nh
Vowel
1st Tone
2nd Tone
3rd Tone
4th Tone
5th Tone
6th Tone
i nhi nhì nhỉ nhĩ nhí nhị
ê nhê nhề nhể nhễ nhế nhệ
e nhe nhè nhẻ nhẽ nhé nhẹ
ư như nhừ nhử nhữ nhứ nhự
ơ nhơ nhờ nhở nhỡ nhớ nhợ
a nha nhà nhả nhã nhá nhạ
u nhu nhù nhủ nhũ nhú nhụ
ô nhô nhồ nhổ nhỗ nhố nhộ
o nho nhò nhỏ nhõ nhó nhọ

Pronunciation

ch[ʨ]

Vietnamese ch has two main pronunciations depending on the region, but the mouth position is similar.

Northern Vietnamese (Hanoi): /c/ or /t͡ɕ/ (a strong palatal stop or palatal affricate)

Southern Vietnamese (Saigon): /t͡ʃ/ (like English “ch”)

Both are voiceless and made with the tongue near the hard palate.

1. IPA

Northern: /c/ (a voiceless palatal stop) or /t͡ɕ/

Southern: /t͡ʃ/ (like English ch in “check”)

2. How to Pronounce “ch” — Step by Step

Tongue Position

Tongue front/middle part is raised toward the hard palate.

Tongue tip lightly touches or is close to the lower front teeth.

The tongue blade (not the tip) does the work.

Contact

The front–middle tongue touches the hard palate, blocking airflow.

Airflow

Build up pressure behind the tongue.

Release it quickly, which creates a burst or friction.

Voice

Voiceless: the vocal cords do not vibrate.

Northern vs Southern difference

Northern “ch”

Short, sharp, clean stop-like sound.

Southern “ch”

Very similar to English ch:

church, check, chop

Tones of syllables created by ch
Vowel
1st Tone
2nd Tone
3rd Tone
4th Tone
5th Tone
6th Tone
i chi chì chỉ chĩ chí chị
ê chê chề chể chễ chế chệ
e che chè chẻ chẽ ché chẹ
ư chư chừ chử chữ chứ chự
ơ chơ chờ chở chỡ chớ chợ
a cha chà chả chã chá chạ
u chu chù chủ chũ chú chụ
ô chô chồ chổ chỗ chố chộ
o cho chò chỏ chõ chó chọ
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.