Speak Vietnamese clearly: free pronunciation test
Find out how clear your Vietnamese pronunciation is. Take the free Vietnamese pronunciation test, get a score for every word you say, and learn the sounds Vietnamese learners find hardest, from the six tones to ư, ơ and final consonants.
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The hardest Vietnamese sounds for learners
The six tones
Northern Vietnamese has six tones, shown by marks over and under the vowels: ma (ghost) is level, mà (but) falls, má (cheek) rises, mả (grave) dips, mã (horse) rises with a break in the voice, and mạ (rice seedling) is short, low and heavy. A wrong tone gives you a different word, not just an accent.
Ư and ơ
Ư is like 'oo' said with spread, unrounded lips, a sound English does not have: người (person), sữa (milk), những. Ơ is a relaxed 'uh', close to the vowel in 'fur' without the r: mới (new), chợ (market), ơn. Don't round your lips for either, or ư turns into u and ơ into ô.
Ng and nh at the start of words
English has ng only at the end of words, as in 'sing', but Vietnamese puts it at the start too: ngày (day), ngủ (to sleep), Nguyễn. Start with the back of your tongue against the soft palate, as at the end of 'sing', and release it straight into the vowel. Nh is like the ny in 'canyon': nhà (house), nhé.