1.02 Vietnamese Six-Tone System - Complete Lesson
1.02 Vietnamese Six-Tone System - Complete Lesson
Completion requirements
Vietnamese Tones
Vietnamese is a tonal language with 6 tones that change word meaning. Each tone has a specific pitch contour.
Listen carefully and practice speaking with the correct tone.
Tones Audio Guide
Content: Complete tones pronunciation guide with native speakers (6:23 minutes)
The 6 Vietnamese Tones
¯
Ngang (Level)
ma (ghost)
Mid-level pitch, neutral
────
´
Sắc (Rising)
má (mother)
High rising pitch
/¯
`
Huyền (Falling)
mà (but)
Low falling pitch
\¯
?
Hỏi (Dipping-rising)
mả (tomb)
Low dipping then rising
\__/
~
Ngã (Creaky rising)
mã (horse)
Creaky rising pitch
~¯
.
Nặng (Heavy)
mạ (rice seedling)
Low falling with glottal stop
\·
Tone Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Tone Recognition
Listen to each word and identify the tone:
Which tone is this? ma
Exercise 2: Tone Pairs
Practice these minimal pairs that differ only by tone:
ma (ghost) ¯
má (mother) ´
mà (but) `
mả (tomb) ?
mã (horse) ~
mạ (rice) .
Tone Pronunciation Guide
| Tone | Symbol | Description | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ngang | ¯ | Mid-level pitch | ma | ghost |
| Sắc | ´ | High rising | má | mother |
| Huyền | ` | Low falling | mà | but |
| Hỏi | ? | Dipping-rising | mả | tomb |
| Ngã | ~ | Creaky rising | mã | horse |
| Nặng | . | Heavy falling | mạ | rice seedling |
Last modified: Thursday, 11 September 2025, 8:31 PM