Table 2. The Vocalic System

  Front Unrounded Back Unrounded Back round
UPPER High Vowels i ö u
Upper Mid Vowels eâ ô oâ
LOWER Lower Mid Vowels e   o
Higher Low Vowels aê aâ   
Lower Low Vowels a     

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Symbol

 Rough English Equivalent Example
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)a father soá ba - three
mieàn nam - south
baøn - table
vaøng - gold
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ach   saùch - book
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)anh . anh - elder brother
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ai aisle mai - tomorrow
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ay bite maùy - machine
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ao cacao sao - star
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)au about sau -  afterward
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)aê hat caép - pilfer
naêm - five
ñaét - expensive
aên - eat
baéc - north
naëng - heavy
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)aâ but ngaäp - flooded
raát - very
ñaâm - stab
daân - citizen
vaâng - obey
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)aâu   ñaâu - where(ever)
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)aây   ñaây - there
thaày - teacher
taây - west
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)e (bet) slightly lower than in English nghe - listen
ñem- carry
ñeïp - beautiful
ñen - black
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)eo   meøo - cat
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)eâ they queâ - rural area
(bet) slightly higher than in English beáp - kitchen
heát - used up
ñeâm - night
neân - therefore
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)eâch   eách - frog
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)eânh   beânh - defend
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)eâu   neáu - if
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)i see ñi - go
chò - elder sister
beet kòp - in time
ít - be a small amount
tìm - to search
in - print
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ich itch ích - usefull
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)inh   lính - soldier
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ia idea chia - divide
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)-ieâ- deal tieáp - continue
bieát - know
mieàn - region
nghieäm - experiment
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)-ieâc   vieäc - affair
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)-ieâng   tieáng - noise
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)-ieâu   hieåu - understand
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)-iu   chòu - suffer, endure
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)o low (slightly higher than in English) nhoû - small
ngon - tasty
to - large
ngoït - sweet
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oi boy ñoùi - be hungry
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oo used only in a few loan words soong - pot
boong - deck
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oc   ñoïc - read
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ong   ong - bee
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oa   oøa - burst into tears
goùa - be widowed
khoai - potato
toaùn - calculate
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oach   oaùch - well dressed
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oanh   oanh - oriole
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oay ay xoay - turn
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oaê-   hoaëc - or
ngoaét - turn around quickly
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oe west khoûe - healthy
loøe loeït - gaudy
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oâ snow coâ - father's sister
boä - a set
  hoäp - box
hoâm - day
toát - good
boán - four
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oâi boy toâi - I
ngoài - sit
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oâc   ñoäc - poisonous
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)oâng   oâng - grandfather
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ô   mô - dream
sôï - be afraid
hôn - more than
côm - cooked rice
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ôi . vôùi - with
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)u sue nguû - sleep
boot chuïp - snap
buùt - writing instrument
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ua   cua - crab
muøa - season
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ui buoy muõi - nose
vui - pleasant
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uoâ-   buoàm - (ship's) sail
chuoät - rat
luoân - continually
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uoâc   luoäc - cook by boiling
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uoâng   chuoâng - bell
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uoâi   ñuoâi - tail
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ueâ suede thueâ - to rent
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ueâch   khueách - amplify
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ueânh   hueânh hoang - showy
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uaâ- won xuaân - spring (season)
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uy wee khuy - button
weep huyùt - to whistle
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uya   khuya - late at night
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uyeâ-   tuyeát - snow
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uyu   khuyûu - elbow
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)uô   thuôû - epoch
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)ö good tö - fourth
ñöùt - break
söùc - strength
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)öa   möa - rain
ñöa - handle
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)öi   ngöûi - sniff
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)öô-   öôùp - to perfume
öôùt - wet
vöôøn - garden
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)öôi   ngöôøi - person
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)öôu   röôïu - alcoholic drink
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)öu   möu - ruse
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)y see Myõ - America
kyø - strange
beet huùy-roâ - hydrogen
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)yeâ-   yeân - calm
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)yeâng-   yeång - blackbird
spkr1.gif (932 bytes)yeâu   yeâu - cherish, love

Contents prepared by Dan Dan Tu
Designed by Hieu Nguyen
Audio by TrungVan Vo