The 6 tones
One syllable, six meanings. The pitch shape is the whole difference. Tap a tone to open its full breakdown below.
Frequently asked questions
Standard (Northern) Vietnamese has six tones: ngang (level), huyền (falling), sắc (rising), hỏi (dipping), ngã (creaky rising), and nặng (heavy). Southern Vietnamese merges hỏi and ngã, so it has five.
Ngang (level, no mark), huyền (low falling, à), sắc (high rising, á), hỏi (dipping, ả), ngã (creaky rising, ã), and nặng (heavy drop, ạ). The same syllable changes meaning with each.
For most learners, ngã (the creaky rising tone with a glottal catch) is the trickiest to produce, which is why Southern speakers often merge it with hỏi.
Yes. The syllable 'ma' means six different things across the tones: ma (ghost), mà (but), má (cheek), mả (tomb), mã (horse), mạ (rice seedling).
Yes. Tap any tone to hear it and practice producing it with instant feedback, all free and with no account.