Free Vietnamese pronunciation checker
Free Vietnamese Pronunciation Test: check every word you say
Read five short Vietnamese sentences aloud or type any word you want to check. You get a score for every word, an overall score with accuracy, fluency and completeness, and a list of words to practise first.
Read this aloud:
Bà tôi bán cá và rau ở chợ.
Listen for: The six tones (bà, bán, ở, chợ)
Tap to record
Your recording is sent securely for scoring and is not stored by Flalingo.
Scores come from a standard native-speaker model for this language, so regional accents may score a little lower.
How to check your Vietnamese pronunciation
Each sentence in this Vietnamese pronunciation test is built around something learners find hard: the six tones, the vowels ư and ơ, ng at the start of a word, final consonants and initials like tr, d and đ. Read it aloud and a speech model trained on native Vietnamese speakers compares every word you say with the text.
You get an overall score from 0 to 100, plus accuracy, fluency and completeness. Every word gets its own score, so you can see which ones sound off and start there. You can also type your own Vietnamese text, up to 160 characters, and check it the same way.
How the test works
Read five sentences aloud
Each sentence is short and built around sounds that learners of this language find hard. You can also type your own text, up to 160 characters, or tap one of the hard words to try.
AI scores every word
A speech-assessment model trained on native speakers compares what you say with the text. It scores accuracy, fluency and completeness from 0 to 100, and gives every word its own score.
Get your report
Each word is coloured by how close it was, and you see a short list of words to practise first. Record a sentence again to check your progress, then share your score with a friend.
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.
Final consonants
Vietnamese words can end in p, t, c, ch, m, n, ng or nh, and the final stops are never released: close your lips or tongue and stop the air, with no puff after it (học, Việt, đẹp). After o, ô and u, final ng and c are said with the lips closing too, so không ends with a hum through closed lips.
Tr, ch, d and đ
Several letters stand for similar sounds. Đ is a d said with the tongue on the gum ridge (đẹp, đi), while plain d is said like z in the north and like y in the south (dạo, da). Tr and ch are both close to ch in the north; in the south tr is said with the tongue curled back. Pick one standard and stay consistent.
What your pronunciation score means
| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Excellent | Your words are clear and close to a native speaker. Try longer or harder sentences to keep improving. |
| 75–89 | Good | Easy to understand. A few words still stand out, so practise them one at a time. |
| 60–74 | Fair | Mostly understandable, but people may ask you to repeat some words. Start with the words in your practice list. |
| 0–59 | Needs work | Some words may be misunderstood. Slow down, practise the flagged words on their own, then say them in short phrases. |
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this Vietnamese pronunciation checker?
It uses a speech-assessment model trained on native Vietnamese speakers. The model lines up your recording with the text, scores every word for accuracy and rates your fluency and completeness. It scores each word as a whole and does not show a separate tone score. Look for words that get flagged again and again rather than worrying about one low score.
Which Vietnamese accent is the test based on?
Scores come from a standard Vietnamese speech model. Vietnamese has clear regional accents: the northern accent of Hanoi, which most textbooks use, has six tones, while the southern accent of Ho Chi Minh City merges two of them and says some consonants differently. Both are correct, but if you speak a regional accent, some words may score a little differently.
How can I improve my Vietnamese pronunciation?
Practise the six tones in short phrases, not single syllables, and exaggerate them at first. Work on ư and ơ with spread lips, and stop final consonants without releasing them. Copy native audio, record yourself and retake the test to see which words improve.
Is the Vietnamese pronunciation test free?
Yes. The test and the word checker are free and you don't need an account. To keep it free for everyone, there is a small daily limit on checks.
Are Vietnamese tones hard to learn?
The six tones are the biggest challenge for most learners, together with vowels like ư and ơ. The good news: Vietnamese uses the Latin alphabet with tone marks, so the spelling tells you exactly which tone to use. The test scores each word as a whole and does not show a separate tone score, so practise tones with native audio as well.
How do I pronounce ng at the start of a word?
Say 'sing' and hold the final ng. Keep your tongue in that position and go straight into a vowel: ng-ay, ng-u. That is ngày and ngủ. Don't add a g or start with n. Practise Nguyễn, the most common Vietnamese family name, with the word checker.