How to Type Vietnamese: Telex and VNI for Beginners

Once you can read the Vietnamese alphabet, the next hurdle is writing it: where do all those accents come from? You do not need a special keyboard. You type ordinary letters and an input method adds the marks. Here is how to type Vietnamese on any device, free, no login, and you can try it right here first.

Try it now

Type some Telex below and watch it turn into Vietnamese. For example, type Tieesng Vieetj:

That live conversion is exactly what a Vietnamese keyboard does for you system-wide once you turn it on.

First, turn on a Vietnamese keyboard

Every major device ships with one. You only do this once:

• iPhone or iPad: Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards, Add New Keyboard, then Vietnamese (Telex).
• Android: in Gboard settings, add Vietnamese as a language; Telex is the default layout.
• Mac: System Settings, Keyboard, Input Sources, add Vietnamese (Telex or VNI).
• Windows: Settings, Time and Language, Language, add Vietnamese. Many people also use the free tool UniKey.

Then switch to the Vietnamese keyboard when you want to type, and back when you do not.

Telex: the popular method

Telex uses letters you already have to add marks. Learn this small table and you can type anything:

Type this	You get	Meaning
aa	â	circumflex on a
ee	ê	circumflex on e
oo	ô	circumflex on o
aw	ă	breve on a
ow	ơ	horn on o
w or uw	ư	horn on u
dd	đ	the Vietnamese d

For tones, add one key at the end of the word, and the mark lands on the right vowel automatically:

Tone key	Tone	Example
s	sắc (rising)	as to á
f	huyền (falling)	af to à
r	hỏi (asking)	ar to ả
x	ngã (tumbling)	ax to ã
j	nặng (heavy)	aj to ạ
z	remove the tone	asz back to a

So Vieejt becomes Việt, and tieengs becomes tiếng. If a tone ever lands on the wrong vowel, you almost never have to worry: the system follows the same placement rules covered in Vietnamese tone marks.

VNI: the number method

VNI does the same job with the number row, which some typists prefer:

Type this	You get
a6 / e6 / o6	â / ê / ô
o7 / u7	ơ / ư
a8	ă
d9	đ
1 2 3 4 5	sắc, huyền, hỏi, ngã, nặng

So Vie6t5 also gives you Việt. Pick whichever method feels natural; both produce identical Vietnamese, so there is no wrong choice. Flip the toggle in the box above to try VNI.

Telex or VNI: which should you pick?

If you are unsure, start with Telex. It is the default on phones, it keeps your fingers on the letter keys instead of reaching for the number row, and it is what most learners and native speakers use. Choose VNI if you type on a full keyboard with a number pad and prefer numbers to doubling letters. Neither one is "better" Vietnamese, so you can switch later without relearning anything except a few keys. The box above lets you feel the difference in a few seconds.

Putting it together

A few full examples to type:

• dduwowcj to được
• nguwowif to người
• Tooi yeeu tieengs Vieetj to Tôi yêu tiếng Việt

Type each one in the box and watch the accents appear. After a day or two your fingers learn the patterns and you stop thinking about them.

A few tips

• Type the tone key last. Finish the word, then add s, f, r, x, or j. The mark moves to the correct vowel for you.
• w is your shortcut for ư. It is faster than uw once you are used to it.
• z clears a tone if you add the wrong one, so you can fix it without deleting the whole word.

Being able to type is what lets you message friends, search in Vietnamese, and practice writing what you learn. Try typing out the lines from basic Vietnamese phrases to build the habit. Pair this with the alphabet guide, the pronunciation guide, and the full beginner roadmap.

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Sources

1. Vietnamese input methods. Telex and VNI reference for the key mappings (aa to â, w to ư, dd to đ, tone keys s f r x j, and the VNI number equivalents).

Frequently asked questions

How do you type Vietnamese accents?

Turn on a Vietnamese keyboard and use an input method. With Telex, you type 'aa' for â, 'w' for ư, 'dd' for đ, and a tone key (s f r x j) at the end of the word. With VNI, you use number keys instead.

What is the difference between Telex and VNI?

Telex uses letters to add marks (aa to â, s for the sắc tone). VNI uses number keys (a6 to â, 1 for the sắc tone). Telex is more common; VNI suits number-pad typists. Both produce the same Vietnamese.

How do you type đ on a keyboard?

In Telex, type the letter d twice (dd to đ). In VNI, type d then 9 (d9 to đ).

How do you put tone marks on Vietnamese letters?

In Telex, add a tone key at the end of the word: s for sắc, f for huyền, r for hỏi, x for ngã, j for nặng, and z to remove a tone. The mark lands on the correct vowel automatically.