THE VIETNAMESE TONES
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There are no tones in English, so it’s very difficult to learn a Vietnamese word by hearing it and then repeating it later. Fortunately, I’ve found a simple way to pronounce the words, which allows you to learn more easily.
Tones explained simply and visually
Pronouncing the tones correctly
Tone going down
| Name of the tone | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dấu huyền | Like when we are disappointed « Aaah» | Mà = Relative pronoun |
Tone going up
| Name of the tone | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dấu sắc | Continually rising « aaah » sound | Má = Mom (in southern Vietnam) |
Without tone
| Name of the tone | Prononciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Không có dấu | Like the musical note « Ah » long and flat | Ma = Ghost |
« No tone » is itself a tone!
Question mark tone
| Name of the tone | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dấu hỏi | Mà+á = Mả | Mả = Tomb |
The point
The wave
| Name of the tone | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Dấu ngã | Mạ+á = Mã | Mã = horse |
Be careful not to confuse the tones
Frequent mix-ups:
- « Má » and « ma »
They can be confused because one tone rises while the other is flat.
– - « Mà » and « mạ »
They can be confused because one tone descends while the other is flat.
– - « Mả » and « mã »
They can be confused because both tones descend and then rise, but one has a sharp descension.
– - « Mà, » « mả » and « má »
They can be confused because mả descends and rises while the other two either descend or rise.
Exercise
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