The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Vietnamese language pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. There are two major standards, one of Hanoi and one of Saigon. Each makes distinctions that the other does not; represented here are the central dialects that make the distinctions of both. Following the examples are common alternate transcriptions of these sounds in the IPA for comparison.
See Vietnamese phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Vietnamese.
| Consonants
|
| IPA |
Examples |
English approximation
|
| ʔ
|
-
|
uh-oh
|
| ɓ
|
ba [ʔb]
|
bee
|
| c
|
chè [tɕ] (Saigon final [t] after e/i/y [1])
|
cheese (unaspirated)
|
| ɗ
|
đi [ʔd]
|
day
|
| f
|
phở
|
fight
|
| h
|
hàng
|
high
|
| j
|
tây; mai (may follow all vowels but e/i/y [1])
|
yellow
|
| k
|
cô, kem
|
sky
|
| l
|
là
|
low
|
| m
|
mai
|
my
|
| n
|
nam (Saigon final [ŋ] after a/o/u [2])
|
no
|
| ɲ
|
nh (Saigon final [n] after after e/i/y [1])
|
roughly like onion
|
| ŋ
|
nga
|
singer
|
| p
|
đáp
|
sport
|
| s
|
xa
|
so
|
| ʂ
|
s (Hanoi [s])
|
show
|
| t
|
tây (Saigon final [k] after o/u [2])
|
stop
|
| tʰ
|
thầy
|
top
|
| ʈʂ
|
tra [ʈ] (Hanoi [c])
|
choose (unaspirated)
|
| v
|
v (Saigon [j])
|
van
|
| w
|
câu (Hanoi initial [ʔw]) (may follow all vowels but a/o/u [2])
|
we
|
| x
|
khô (Saigon [kʰ])
|
loch (Scottish English)
|
| ɣ
|
ga (before a/o/u [2]), gh (before e/i/y [1])
|
roughly like go
|
| z
|
da; già (Saigon [j])
|
zero
|
| ʐ
|
ra (Hanoi [z])[3]
|
pleasure
|
|
| Monophthongs
|
| IPA
|
Examples |
English approximation
|
| a
|
ăn [ɐ]
|
cut
|
| aː
|
ba [ɐː][4]
|
cat
|
| e
|
về
|
day
|
| ɛ
|
xe
|
set
|
| ə
|
ân [ɜ]
|
person
|
| əː
|
bơ [ɤː]
|
sir (British English)
|
| i
|
khi, quy
|
see
|
| ɨ
|
tư [ɯ]
|
roughly like good
|
| o
|
cô
|
roughly like law (British English)
|
| ɔ
|
có
|
law
|
| u
|
ru
|
too
|
| Diphthongs
|
| IPA
|
Examples |
English approximation
|
| iə
|
viên, bia
|
idea
|
| ɨə
|
xương, chưa [ɯə]
|
[ɨ] followed by [ə]
|
| uə
|
uống, mua
|
sure (British English)
|
| ʲ
|
(see /j/ above)
|
|
| ʷ
|
(see /w/ above)
|
|
| Tones
|
| IPA
|
Examples
|
| a ə
|
a (Hanoi [˧], Saigon [˧])
|
| â ə̂
|
à (Hanoi [˧˩], Saigon [˧˩])
|
| ǎ ə̌
|
á (Hanoi [˧˥], Saigon [˧˥])
|
| a᷉ ə᷉[5]
|
ả (Hanoi [˧˩˧], Saigon [˧˩˧])
|
| ǎˀ ə̌ˀ
|
ã (Hanoi [˧ˀ˥], Saigon [˧˩˧])
|
| âˀ ə̂ˀ
|
ạ (Hanoi [˧ˀ˩], Saigon [˧˩˧ˀ])
|
| ə́k[6]
|
ấc (Hanoi [˥], Saigon [˥])
|
| ə̀k[6]
|
ậc (Hanoi [˨], Saigon [˨])
|
|
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The front vowels ([i], [e], [ɛ], [j]) which are based on the letters e, i, and y.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The non-front vowels, which are based on the letters a, o, and u.
- ↑ /ʐ/ can be pronounced [ɹ].
- ↑ /aː/ may be pronounced [æ].
- ↑ This is a dipping tone. It looks similar to ã ə̃ ([ ̃ ] (nasalized mark). The dipping tone differs only in being angular in shape, but is not widely supported by IPA fonts.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Before a final /p, t, c, k/, the six tones of Vietnamese are reduced to two.
ਫਰਮਾ:IPA keys horizontal
