Language Tips
December 9, 2025
1 min read
The 6 Tones of Vietnamese: A Beginner's Guide
Vietnamese is a tonal language with 6 distinct tones. Learning these tones is essential for being understood. Here's how to master them.
Stef
Language Tutor
Understanding Vietnamese Tones
Vietnamese has six tones that can completely change the meaning of a word. The word "ma" for example can mean ghost, mother, but, rice seedling, horse, or tomb depending on the tone used!
The Six Tones
- Ngang (level tone) - No diacritic mark, flat and mid-pitch
- Huyền (falling tone) - Marked with grave accent (à), starts mid and falls
- Sắc (rising tone) - Marked with acute accent (á), rises sharply
- Hỏi (dipping-rising tone) - Marked with hook (ả), dips then rises
- Ngã (rising glottalized tone) - Marked with tilde (ã), rises with a break
- Nặng (low glottalized tone) - Marked with dot below (ạ), short and low
Tips for Learning Tones
Practice with minimal pairs, listen to native speakers, and don't be afraid to exaggerate at first. Your ear will develop over time!
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