In Vietnamese, a rime, or vần, is what’s left of a syllable after removing the tone and the initial consonant. There is a good news and a bad news when it comes to Vietnamese rimes.
The good news is that the pronunciation of Vietnamese rimes are always consistent and no-nonsense. Each written form corresponds to only one sound, avoiding the headaches of dealing with rough, through, though, cough and bough like in English.
The bad news is that there are several rimes whose pronunciations don’t reflect the spellings and, because of this, need special attention. For such a rime, you have to learn its pronunciation as a cohesive unit, not a combination of its components. However, they aren’t really bizarre exceptions either, but rather follow a different pattern compared to the norm. The rimes of this type can be highlighted in the rime table below.
The rime table
Let’s go over a brief review of the rime structure: a rime consists of three parts: a medial, a vowel and a final consonant. While the vowel is mandatory, the other two are optional. There are:
- Only one medial: /w/, spelt u or o
- 14 vowels
- Eight final consonants.
Combining them all together produces a total of 190 rimes in principle and about 140–160 rimes in practice, shown in the table below. The table also encompasses the spelling rules of the medial, vowels and placement of tone marks. The rimes with irregular pronunciation or spelling can be highlighted in green or cyan, respectively.
For example, the rime ong “should” be pronounced /ɔŋ/ because o and ng are pronounced /ɔ/ and /ŋ/, respectively, but it’s not, so it will be highlighted in green. Similarly, the rime eo (/ɛw/) “should” be spelt eu, but it’s not, so it will be highlighted in cyan.
- Show:
- Rime:
- Highlight:
| Final consonant | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ∅ | i/j/ | u/w/ | m/m/ | n/n/ | ng/ŋ/ | p/p/ | t/t/ | c/k/ | ||
| No medial |
e/ɛ/ | eẹ /ɛ/ |
∅ | eoẹo /ɛw/ |
emẹm /ɛm/ |
enẹn /ɛn/ |
anhạnh /ăjŋ/ |
epẹp /ɛp/ |
etẹt /ɛt/ |
achạch /ăjk/ |
| ê/e/ | êệ /e/ |
∅ | êuệu /ew/ |
êmệm /em/ |
ênện /en/ |
ênhệnh /ə̆jŋ/ |
êpệp /ep/ |
êtệt /et/ |
êchệch /ə̆jk/ |
|
| i/i/ | i, yị, ỵ /i/ |
∅ | iuịu /iw/ |
imịm /im/ |
inịn /in/ |
inhịnh /iŋ/ |
ipịp /ip/ |
itịt /it/ |
ichịch /ik/ |
|
| a/a/ | aạ /a/ |
aiại /aj/ |
aoạo /aw/ |
amạm /am/ |
anạn /an/ |
angạng /aŋ/ |
apạp /ap/ |
atạt /at/ |
acạc /ak/ |
|
| ă/ă/ | ∅ | ayạy /ăj/ |
auạu /ăw/ |
ămặm /ăm/ |
ănặn /ăn/ |
ăngặng /ăŋ/ |
ăpặp /ăp/ |
ătặt /ăt/ |
ăcặc /ăk/ |
|
| ơ/ə/ | ơợ /ə/ |
ơiợi /əj/ |
ơuợu /əw/ |
ơmợm /əm/ |
ơnợn /ən/ |
ơngợng /əŋ/ |
ơpợp /əp/ |
ơtợt /ət/ |
ơcợc /ək/ |
|
| â/ə̆/ | ∅ | âyậy /ə̆j/ |
âuậu /ə̆w/ |
âmậm /ə̆m/ |
ânận /ə̆n/ |
ângậng /ə̆ŋ/ |
âpập /ə̆p/ |
âtật /ə̆t/ |
âcậc /ə̆k/ |
|
| ư/ɨ/ | ưự /ɨ/ |
ưiựi /ɨj/ |
ưuựu /ɨw/ |
ưmựm /ɨm/ |
ưnựn /ɨn/ |
ưngựng /ɨŋ/ |
ưpựp /ɨp/ |
ưtựt /ɨt/ |
ưcực /ɨk/ |
|
| o/ɔ/ | oọ /ɔ/ |
oiọi /ɔj/ |
∅ | omọm /ɔm/ |
onọn /ɔn/ |
ongọng /ăwŋ/ |
opọp /ɔp/ |
otọt /ɔt/ |
ocọc /ăwk/ |
|
| ô/o/ | ôộ /o/ |
ôiội /oj/ |
∅ | ômộm /om/ |
ônộn /on/ |
ôngộng /ə̆wŋ/ |
ôpộp /op/ |
ôtột /ot/ |
ôcộc /ə̆wk/ |
|
| u/u/ | uụ /u/ |
uiụi /uj/ |
∅ | umụm /um/ |
unụn /un/ |
ungụng /uŋ/ |
upụp /up/ |
utụt /ut/ |
ucục /uk/ |
|
| iê/iə/ | iaịa /iə/ |
∅ | iêu, yêuiệu, yệu /iəw/ |
iêm, yêmiệm, yệm /iəm/ |
iên, yêniện, yện /iən/ |
iêng, yêngiệng, yệng /iəŋ/ |
iêp, yêpiệp, yệp /iəp/ |
iêt, yêtiệt, yệt /iət/ |
iêc, yêciệc, yệc /iək/ |
|
| ươ/ɨə/ | ưaựa /ɨə/ |
ươiượi /ɨəj/ |
ươuượu /ɨəw/ |
ươmượm /ɨəm/ |
ươnượn /ɨən/ |
ươngượng /ɨəŋ/ |
ươpượp /ɨəp/ |
ươtượt /ɨət/ |
ươcược /ɨək/ |
|
| uô/uə/ | uaụa /uə/ |
uôiuội /uəj/ |
∅ | uômuộm /uəm/ |
uônuộn /uən/ |
uônguộng /uəŋ/ |
uôpuộp /uəp/ |
uôtuột /uət/ |
uôcuộc /uək/ |
|
| Medial /w/ |
oe/wɛ/ | oe, (q)ueoẹ, (q)uẹ /wɛ/ |
∅ | oeo, (q)ueooẹo, (q)uẹo /wɛw/ |
oem, (q)uemoẹm, (q)uẹm /wɛm/ |
oen, (q)uenoẹn, (q)uẹn /wɛn/ |
oanh, (q)uanhoạnh, (q)uạnh /wăjŋ/ |
oep, (q)uepoẹp, (q)uẹp /wɛp/ |
oet, (q)uetoẹt, (q)uẹt /wɛt/ |
oach, (q)uachoạch, (q)uạch /wăjk/ |
| uê/we/ | uêuệ /we/ |
∅ | uêuuệu /wew/ |
uêmuệm /wem/ |
uênuện /wen/ |
uênhuệnh /wə̆jŋ/ |
uêpuệp /wep/ |
uêtuệt /wet/ |
uêchuệch /wə̆jk/ |
|
| uy/wi/ | uyuỵ /wi/ |
∅ | uyuuỵu /wiw/ |
uymuỵm /wim/ |
uynuỵn /win/ |
uynhuỵnh /wiŋ/ |
uypuỵp /wip/ |
uytuỵt /wit/ |
uychuỵch /wik/ |
|
| oa/wa/ | oa, (q)uaoạ, (q)uạ /wa/ |
oai, (q)uaioại, (q)uại /waj/ |
oao, (q)uaooạo, (q)uạo /waw/ |
oam, (q)uamoạm, (q)uạm /wam/ |
oan, (q)uanoạn, (q)uạn /wan/ |
oang, (q)uangoạng, (q)uạng /waŋ/ |
oap, (q)uapoạp, (q)uạp /wap/ |
oat, (q)uatoạt, (q)uạt /wat/ |
oac, (q)uacoạc, (q)uạc /wak/ |
|
| oă/wă/ | ∅ | oay, (q)uayoạy, (q)uạy /wăj/ |
oau, (q)uauoạu, (q)uạu /wăw/ |
oăm, (q)uămoặm, (q)uặm /wăm/ |
oăn, (q)uănoặn, (q)uặn /wăn/ |
oăng, (q)uăngoặng, (q)uặng /wăŋ/ |
oăp, (q)uăpoặp, (q)uặp /wăp/ |
oăt, (q)uătoặt, (q)uặt /wăt/ |
oăc, (q)uăcoặc, (q)uặc /wăk/ |
|
| uơ/wə/ | uơuợ /wə/ |
uơiuợi /wəj/ |
uơuuợu /wəw/ |
uơmuợm /wəm/ |
uơnuợn /wən/ |
uơnguợng /wəŋ/ |
uơpuợp /wəp/ |
uơtuợt /wət/ |
uơcuợc /wək/ |
|
| uâ/wə̆/ | ∅ | uâyuậy /wə̆j/ |
uâuuậu /wə̆w/ |
uâmuậm /wə̆m/ |
uânuận /wə̆n/ |
uânguậng /wə̆ŋ/ |
uâpuập /wə̆p/ |
uâtuật /wə̆t/ |
uâcuậc /wə̆k/ |
|
| uyê/wiə/ | uyauỵa /wiə/ |
∅ | uyêuuyệu /wiəw/ |
uyêmuyệm /wiəm/ |
uyênuyện /wiən/ |
uyênguyệng /wiəŋ/ |
uyêpuyệp /wiəp/ |
uyêtuyệt /wiət/ |
uyêcuyệc /wiək/ |
|
| Double | ee/ɛː/ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | engẹng /ɛŋ/ |
∅ | ∅ | ecẹc /ɛk/ |
| êê/eː/ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | êngệng /eŋ/ |
∅ | ∅ | êcệc /ek/ |
|
| oo/ɔː/ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | oongoọng /ɔŋ/ |
∅ | ∅ | oocoọc /ɔk/ |
|
| ôô/oː/ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | ∅ | ôôngôộng /oŋ/ |
∅ | ∅ | ôôcôộc /ok/ |
|
Some little confusions
The rime table is quite straightforward, but for beginners, it may be a bit overwhelming, so there are some possible confusing points that need clarification:
ua vs. oa
Normally, ua indicates the diphthong /uə/, while oa indicates /wa/, the vowel /a/ with medial /w/. However, when following the initial consonant /k/, /wa/ is spelt ua (and /k/ is spelt q), according to the spelling rules. Because of this, the difference between qua and cua actually lies in the rimes, not the initial consonants.
ui vs. uy
This one is simple, ui indicates /uj/, the vowel /u/ with final consonant /j/, while uy indicates /wi/, the vowel /i/ with medial /w/.
However, in real life, when the initial consonant is /k/, some people have the habit of writing qui instead of quy. This is a non-standard spelling (some people argue that there are no differences, but it’s against the rules).
ao vs. au
The actual vowel in au is ă, not a. If you want an a, use ao.
ai vs. ay
The actual vowel in ay is ă, not a. If you want an a, use ai.
Pronunciation
Pronouncing most rimes is simple, it’s basically the medial (if any) plus the vowel plus the final consonant (if any), and it’s done. However, there are some exceptions, so it’s a bit more complicated (but still very simple).
Let’s examine the rime anh as an example. Using the rime table, we can see that its IPA value is /ăjŋ/, which can be broken down into /ăj/ and /ŋ/, which are the IPA values of ay and ng, respectively. Because of this, we pronounce anh as a sequence of ay and ng.
Using this logic, we can break down all of the eight exceptions (while the table shows 12, the other four are simply adding the medial /w/ in):
- anh = ay + ng
- ach = ay + c
- ênh = ây + ng
- êch = ây + c
- ong = au + ng
- oc = au + c
- ông = âu + ng
- ôc = âu + c
Rimes in dialects
As is the case with pretty much every other language, there are differences between the standard language and how Vietnamese speakers actually pronounce the rimes. There are two major dialects in Vietnamese: Northern and Southern.
The Northern dialect
The Northern dialect is formally called phương ngữ Bắc Bộ, colloquially giọng miền Bắc, or giọng Bắc for short.
In general, the Northern dialect (Hanoi) pronounces the rimes in the same way as the standard language, but there are some minor differences: ưu and ươu are pronounced as iu and iêu, respectively. However, this is not a core feature, that is, it doesn’t sound weird or pretentious to pronounce those rimes in the standard way (it actually sounds more beautiful to do so).
Examples:
| Syllable | Standard IPA | Northern dialect respelling | Northern dialect IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| lựu | /lɨw/ | lịu | /liw/ |
| hươu | /hɨəw/ | hiêu | /hiəw/ |
The Southern dialect
The Southern dialect is formally called phương ngữ Nam Bộ, colloquially giọng miền Nam, or giọng Nam for short.
The Southern dialect (Saigon a.k.a. HCM city) pronounces the rimes quite differently from the standard language, requiring a separate post.