The good news is that the pronunciation of Vietnamese rimes are always consistent, no-nonsense, hassle-free. Each written form only has one sound, avoiding the headaches of dealing with rough, through, though, cough and bough.
The bad news is that there are several rimes whose pronunciations are not equal to the combinations of those of their components (medial + vowel + final consonant). For those rimes, you have to learn their pronunciations as a cohesive unit, not a combination of their components. However, they are not really bizarre exceptions either, but rather they 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/ — represented by 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. Each rime whose pronunciation or spelling is different from the combination of that of its components can be highlighted in green or cyan, respectively.
- 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 little overwhelming, so there are some possible points of confusion that need clarification:
ua vs. oa
Normally, ua represents the vowel /uə/, and oa represents /wa/ — the combination of the medial /w/ and the vowel /a/. However, when combined with the initial consonant /k/ (written q), /wa/ is represented by ua, due to the spelling rules. Therefore, the difference between qua and cua lies in the rimes, not the initial consonants.
ui vs. uy
This one is simple, ui represents /uj/ — the combination of the vowel /u/ and the final consonant /j/, while uy represents /wi/ — the combination of the medial /w/ and the vowel /i/.
However, in real life, some people have the habit of writing qui instead of quy. This is a non-standard spelling (some people argue that there is no difference, but it is against the rule).
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, first the medial (if any), then adding the vowel, and the final consonant (if any), done. However, we already mentioned above that there are some exceptions, so it is a little 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. Therefore, 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
The Northern dialect
Generally, the Northern dialect (Hanoi) pronounces rimes in the same way as the standard accent, but there are some differences:
- ưu pronounced like iu
- ươu pronounced like iêu
| Syllable | Standard IPA | Northern dialect respelling | Northern dialect IPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| lựu | /lɨw/ | lịu | /liw/ |
| hươu | /hɨəw/ | hiêu | /hiəw/ |
Note that it doesn’t sound weird or pretentious to pronounce those rimes like the standard accent.
The Southern dialect
Rimes in the Southern dialect sound quite differently compared to their counterparts in the standard accent, as elaborated in the article about rimes in the Southern dialect.