Guides
Answers to common questions
Each guide starts with a direct answer, then goes deeper with tables and examples.
- Vietnamese tones explained: the 6 tones with examplesThe six Vietnamese tones — ngang, huyền, sắc, hỏi, ngã, nặng — what each sounds like, how it is written, and how to practise them.
- The Vietnamese alphabet: 29 letters and how to pronounce themAll 29 letters of the Vietnamese alphabet, the 7 letters English does not have (ă, â, đ, ê, ô, ơ, ư) and the sounds that trip up beginners.
- Vietnamese numbers: how to count from 1 to 1,000,000Count in Vietnamese from 1 to a million, with the rules for mốt, lăm, tư and linh/lẻ that make Vietnamese numbers easy once you know them.
- Vietnamese classifiers: cái, con, chiếc and when to use themWhat Vietnamese classifiers are, why you need one between a number and a noun, and the handful that cover most everyday situations.
- Basic Vietnamese greetings and polite phrasesHow to say hello, thank you, sorry and goodbye in Vietnamese — and how to choose the right pronoun (anh, chị, em, bạn) for the person you are talking to.
- How to type Vietnamese: the Telex methodType Vietnamese letters and tone marks on any keyboard with Telex: aa → â, dd → đ, s f r x j for the five tone marks.
- How long does it take to learn Vietnamese?A realistic timeline for learning Vietnamese as an English speaker, from reading the alphabet in a week to holding everyday conversations.