The Vietnamese alphabet, unlike other Asian languages, uses the same alphabet as us. However, it contains some variations in form and pronunciation. We will see the letters that make up the Vietnamese alphabet and their pronunciation.
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There are 29 letters in the Vietnamese alphabet. Observe the 29 letters below, you will notice that Vietnamese does not have these 4 letters f, j, w and z. However, the alphabet contains 7 additional letters (1 consonant in green and 6 vowels in pink). These letters have a variation compared to English.
Vietnamese has 17 simple consonants and 11 compound consonants, totaling 28 consonants. Unlike French, some Vietnamese consonants are pronounced differently depending on their position in the word. The final consonants p, t, c, ch and nh are generally not pronounced but modify the vowel that precedes them. Here are the 21 pronunciations of the 28 consonants:
Pronunciation:
b
Consonant: b
like in bar
Examples:
Pronunciation:
k
Consonant: c, k, q
comme dans képi
Exemples:
Prononciation:
tch
Consonne: ch, tr
comme dans tchao
Exemples:
Prononciation:
z
Consonne: d, gi
comme dans zéro
Exemples:
Prononciation:
d
Consonne: đ
comme dans dada
Exemples:
Prononciation:
g
Consonne: g, gh
comme dans gala
Exemples:
Prononciation:
h
Consonne: h
comme dans hop!
Exemples:
Prononciation:
kh
Consonne: kh
proche d'un h (sans k)
Exemples:
Prononciation:
l
Consonne: l
comme dans lent
Exemples:
Prononciation:
m
Consonne: m
comme dans mamie
Exemples:
Prononciation:
n
Consonne: n
comme dans nous
Exemples:
Prononciation:
ng
Consonne: ng, ngh
comme dans ping-pong
Exemples:
Prononciation:
gn
Consonne: nh
comme dans gnon
Exemples:
Prononciation:
p
Consonne: p
comme dans soupe
Exemples:
Prononciation:
f
Consonne: ph
comme dans femme
Exemples:
Prononciation:
j
Consonne: r
comme dans jaune ou gilet
Exemples:
Prononciation:
sh
Consonne: s
comme dans chat
Exemples:
Prononciation:
t
Consonne: t
comme dans terre
Exemples:
Prononciation:
th
Consonne: th
comme dans thé
Exemples:
Prononciation:
v
Consonne: v
comme dans vous
Exemples:
Prononciation:
s
Consonne: x
comme dans sale
Exemples:
The Vietnamese language has 11 simple vowels, which can be combined to form diphthongs. Unlike French, Vietnamese vowels generally maintain their pronunciation, regardless of their position in the word. Each vowel can carry one of the six tones, which changes its pitch and melody, creating a wide variety of sounds.
Vowel:
a
Pronunciation: a
comme dans papa
Examples:
Vowel:
ă
Pronunciation: â
comme dans âne
Examples:
Vowel:
â
Pronunciation: oe
comme dans euh
Examples:
Vowel:
ê
Pronunciation: é
comme dans manger
Examples:
Vowel:
e
Pronunciation: è
comme dans père
Examples:
Vowel:
i, y
Pronunciation: i
comme dans ami
Examples:
Vowel:
o
Pronunciation: o
comme dans donner
Examples:
Vowel:
ô
Pronunciation: ô
comme dans roser
Examples:
Vowel:
ơ
Pronunciation: ơ
comme dans eau
Examples:
Vowel:
u
Pronunciation: ou
comme dans genou
Examples:
Vowel:
ư
Pronunciation: eu
comme dans eux
Examples:
The Vietnamese language standard composition is made up of 6 tones. Note that each syllable has only one tone. These tones modify the pitch and melody of the voice, changing the meaning of words. The same word pronounced with different tones can have completely different meanings. The mastery of tones is therefore essential for effective communication in Vietnamese.
Ton: không dấu
sans ton
Examples:
Ton: dấu huyền
ton descendant
Exemples:
Ton: dấu ngã
ton interrogatif aigu
Exemples:
Ton: dấu hỏi
ton interrogatif
Exemples:
Ton: dấu sắc
ton aigu
Exemples:
Ton: dấu nặng
ton lourd descendant
Exemples:
