Grammar and pronunciation
The Six Vietnamese Tones
Standard written Vietnamese marks six tones. The same syllable means completely different things depending on its tone, so a tone mark is part of the spelling, not decoration. Press Listen to hear each one, though the result depends on your device’s voice.
The six tones
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| ngang: ma | Level tone, no mark. Ma means “ghost”. |
| huyền: mà | Falling tone, grave accent. Mà means “but”. |
| sắc: má | Rising tone, acute accent. Má means “cheek”, and “mother” in the South. |
| hỏi: mả | Dipping tone, hook above. Mả means “tomb”. |
| ngã: mã | Creaky rising tone, tilde. Mã means “horse” in Sino-Vietnamese words, and also “code”. |
| nặng: mạ | Heavy tone, dot below. Mạ means “rice seedling”. |
Practise this page
Test yourself on the words above with a short quiz.