English Pronunciation Guide for Vietnamese Speakers
Published:
This guide provides Vietnamese phonetic approximations for all English consonants and vowels, including pronunciation tips and common mistakes.
1. Consonants Sounds
Since Vietnamese lacks some English consonants, substitutions are needed for pronunciation.
| English Sound | Example Word | Approximate Vietnamese Sound | Key Differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| /p/ | pet | p (pét) | English /ph/ is stronger than Vietnamese ph. |
| /b/ | big | b (bít) | Similar, but English /b/ is voiced. |
| /t/ | ten | t (ten) | Similar, but English /t/ has stronger aspiration. |
| /d/ | dog | đ (đốc) | Close to đ but stronger at the tongue tip. |
| /k/ | cat | c/k (cát) | English /k/ is stronger than Vietnamese c. |
| /g/ | go | g (gô) | Similar, but Vietnamese g is softer. |
| /f/ | fun | ph (phân) | Similar but stronger breath in English. |
| /v/ | very | v (vê) | Vietnamese v is softer than English /v/. |
| /θ/ | think | th (thích) | English /θ/ is made with the tongue between teeth. |
| /ð/ | this | đ (đít) or d (dì) | No exact equivalent, but soft đ or d is close. |
| /s/ | sit | s (sát) | Similar, but stronger in English. |
| /z/ | zoo | d (dừ) | Vietnamese d in the South is close, but English /z/ is more buzzing. |
| /ʃ/ | she | sh (si) | Like x in “xanh”, but more airy. |
| /ʒ/ | pleasure | d (dờ) | No exact equivalent, but similar to d in the South. |
| /tʃ/ | chin | tr (trín) | Similar, but English /tʃ/ is stronger. |
| /dʒ/ | jump | gi (giật) | Like gi but more explosive. |
| /m/ | man | m (mèo) | Same. |
| /n/ | no | n (năm) | Same. |
| /ŋ/ | sing | ng (ngủ) | Same. |
| /h/ | hot | h (hát) | Same. |
| /l/ | like | l (lời) | Similar. |
| /r/ | red | r (răng) | English /r/ is more curled than Vietnamese r. |
| /j/ | yes | d (di) | Like d in Southern Vietnamese. |
| /w/ | win | u (uýt) | No exact w in Vietnamese, but close to u sound. |
Biggest Challenge for Vietnamese Speakers:
- /θ/ vs. /ð/ (Think vs. This)
- /ʃ/ vs. /s/ (She vs. See)
- /v/ vs. /w/ (Very vs. Worry)
2. Vowel Sounds
English has more vowel sounds than Vietnamese, so approximate sounds are needed.
| English Vowel | Example Word | Approximate Vietnamese Sound | Key Differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| /iː/ | see | i (tí) | Same. |
| /ɪ/ | sit | i (tình) | Shorter than /iː/. |
| /e/ | bed | e (bén) | Similar but tenser in English. |
| /æ/ | cat | e (ét) | More open than Vietnamese e. |
| /ɑː/ | car | a (ba) | Longer than a in Vietnamese. |
| /ɒ/ | dog | o (bò) | Close to o in Northern Vietnamese. |
| /ɔː/ | saw | o (to) | Similar but longer. |
| /ʊ/ | book | u (bụng) | Similar but shorter. |
| /uː/ | blue | u (bún) | Similar. |
| /ʌ/ | cup | â (cất) | Close to â but more open. |
| /ə/ | about | ơ (bờ) | Similar. |
| /ɜː/ | bird | ơ (bờ) | Similar but tenser. |
| /aɪ/ | time | ai (mai) | Same. |
| /aʊ/ | how | ao (bão) | Same. |
| /ɔɪ/ | boy | oi (mỏi) | Same. |
| /eɪ/ | say | ê (tê) | Similar. |
| /oʊ/ | go | ô (tô) | Similar. |
| /ɪə/ | near | ia (bia) | Same. |
| /eə/ | hair | e (bé) | Similar but longer. |
| /ʊə/ | tour | ua (múa) | Same. |