v, x, y.
The Vietnamese consonants are written as single letters or a cluster of two or three letters, as follows:
b, c, ch, d, ñ, g, gh, gi, h, k, kh, l, m, n, ng, ngh, nh, p, ph, qu, r, s, t, th, tr, v, x.
The vowels in Vietnamese are the following: a, aê, aâ, e, eâ, i/y, o, oâ, ô, u, ö. Vowels can also be grouped together to form a cluster or a word.
The following tables show the vowels and consonants in Vietnamese pronunciation with their English equivalents.
Tones
The standard Vietnamese language has six tones. Each tone is a meaningful and integral part of the syllable. Every syllable must have a tone. The tones are indicated in conventional Vietnamese spelling by diacritic marks placed over (aù, aø, aû, aõ) or under (aï) single vowels or the vowel in a cluster that bears the main stress (v).
Tone Symbols
The six tones just described are summarized in the following chart to illustrate the differences between them as they are associated with individual words.
The Vietnamese language has its national standard syntax, morphology and the tone system, although there are some regional variations in pronunciation and accents. The significant differences in pronunciation and accents between the Northern and Southern people (represented by Hanoi and Saigon respectively) are as follows:
1. There is no difference in the single vowels between Hanoi and Saigon.
2. There are two vowel clusters /öu/ and /öôu/ which are pronounced /iu/ and /ieâ u/ by Hanoi, and /öu/ and /öôu/ by Saigon.
3. Differences in the pronunciation of consonants:
4. Saigonese do not differentiate between the two tones /?/ and /~/; these are pronounced alike.
VIETNAMESE-ENGLISH
VIETNAMESE-ENGLISH
A
a 1 n. acre [100 square meters] chöõ vieát taét maãu Taây 2 a! intj. Oh! [exclamation term]
a dua v. to flatter, to follow
a-loâ! intj. Hello!
a phieán n. (= thuoác phieän) opium
A-Phuù-Haûn n. Afghanistan, Afghan
a toøng v. to act as an accomplice
aù! intj. Oh! Ouch!
Aù n. Asia, Asian: Ñoâng Nam AÙ Southeast Asia
AÙ-Caên-Ñình n. Argentina, Argentine
Aù Chaâu n. Asia, Asian: Ñoâng Nam Aù Chaâu Southeast Asia
Aù Ñoâng n. Asia, The East, The Orient, Asian, Eastern, Oriental
aø intj. Oh! Ah!: Theá aø? Is that so?
aû n. lass, gal, dame, damsel
aû ñaøo n. traditional song female singer
Aû Raäp n. Arabia, Arab, Arabian
aï intj. polite particle: vaâng aï Yes sir
aùc adj. cruel [opp. hieàn], severe, fierce; R evil [opp. thieän]
aùc caûm n. antipathy, ill-feeling, dislike
aùc chieán n. a bloody fight
aùc lieät adj. [of a fight, battle, war] very violent, very fierce
aùc mieäng adj. foul-mouthed
aùc moäng n. nightmare
aùc oân n. wicked thug
aùc thuù n. wild animal
aùc yù n. malice, ill-will
aùch n. yoke
ai pron. Who?, whom, whoever, everyone, someone, anyone
Ai Caäp n. Egypt, Egyptian
Ai Lao n. Laos, Laotian [see Laøo]
aùi aân v. to make love
aùi chaø! intj. Well, well!
aùi höõu n. friendly society
aùi ngaïi v. to feel compassion for
aùi löïc n. affinity
Aùi Nhó Lan n. Ireland, Irish
aùi nöõ n. daughter
aùi quoác adj. patriotic: loøng aùi quoác patriotism; nhaø aùi quoác patriot
aùi tình n. (= tình yeâu) love
aûi n. pass, hurdle
am n. small Buddhist temple, cottage
am hieåu v. to know well, to be familiar with
aùm aûnh v. to be obsessed, beset
aùm hieäu n. secret signal
aùm muoäi adj. stupid, fishy, shady
aùm saùt v. to assassinate: vuï aùm saùt assassination
aùm taû n. dictation
an adj. safe, secure; R peace: bình an (= yeân) security
an höôûng v. to live peacefully, to enjoy peacefully: an höôûng cuoäc ñôøi to enjoy life peacefully
an khang adj. healthy and safe
An Nam n. Vietnam [old term]
an ninh n. security: cô quan an ninh security service
an nhaøn adj. to be leisurely: ñôøi soáng an nhaøn a good and easy life
an phaän v. to feel smug: an phaän thuû thöôøng to feel smug about one’s present circumstances
an toaï v. to be seated
an toaøn adj. secure, safe
an uûi v. to comfort
aùn n. judgment, sentence, verdict: toaø aùn court of law
aùn maïng n. murder, homicide
aùn treo n. suspended sentence
aùng n. literary work: aùng vaên chöông literature work
anh 1 n. (= huynh) elder brother: anh em brothers/you; anh caû eldest brother; anh reå brother-in-law [one’s sister’s husband]; anh ruoät blood brother; anh hoï cousin [one’s parent’s elder sibling’s son] 2 pron. anh (first person as I [used by elder brother to younger sibling], and as you [used to young man]); he [used of young man]
Anh n., adj. Great Britain, England; British, English: Nöôùc Anh England, Britain; tieáng Anh English; lieân hieäp Anh the British Commonwealth
Anh Caùt Lôïi n. England, English
anh