Reference
Alphabet & tones
Tap a letter to hear it, see how to shape your mouth, and learn words that use it. Same syllable, six meanings. Listen to each tone and watch the shape of its pitch.
The Vietnamese alphabet
How many letters are in the Vietnamese alphabet?
The Vietnamese alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) has 29 letters. It uses the Latin script without f, j, w and z, and adds seven letters of its own: ă, â, đ, ê, ô, ơ and ư. On top of the letters, five tone marks show how each syllable is pitched.
Vowels (12)
Consonants (16)
Special letters (1)
Want the full picture? Read our guide: The Vietnamese alphabet: 29 letters and how to pronounce them
Pronunciation
The 6 Vietnamese tones
Same syllable, six meanings. Listen to each tone and watch the shape of its pitch.
How many tones does Vietnamese have?
Vietnamese has six tones: ngang (level), huyền (falling), sắc (rising), hỏi (dipping), ngã (broken rising) and nặng (heavy, cut short). The tone is marked on the main vowel of each syllable and changes the meaning completely — ma, mà, má, mả, mã and mạ are six different words.
| Tone | Pitch | Example | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| ngang | ma ghost | Flat and level — no rise or fall, held at a steady mid pitch. | |
| huyền | mà but | Starts mid and glides gently downward, low and soft. | |
| sắc | má mother's cheek | Starts mid and rises sharply to a high pitch. | |
| hỏi | mả grave | Dips down first, then curves back up — like a question. | |
| ngã | mã horse / code | Rises, breaks with a slight glottal catch, then rises again. | |
| nặng | mạ rice seedling | Low and heavy, cut off short and abruptly. |
Go deeper: Vietnamese tones explained: the 6 tones with examples
Frequently asked questions
Does Vietnamese use the letters F, J, W and Z?
Not in native words. They only appear in foreign names and loanwords. The "f" sound is written ph (phở), and "z" is the northern pronunciation of d, gi and r.
Is Vietnamese written phonetically?
Mostly yes. Once you know the rules, you can pronounce almost any written word, and each syllable is written separately with its tone marked.
Which Vietnamese tone is the hardest?
Most learners find hỏi and ngã hardest, because both move up and down and are easy to confuse. In the south they are usually pronounced the same.
Is Vietnamese harder than Mandarin because of tones?
Vietnamese has six tones (Mandarin has four plus a neutral tone), but it is written in the Latin alphabet with the tone shown on every syllable, which makes reading much easier than learning Chinese characters.
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