The Vietnamese Alphabet:
Complete Guide
29 letters. Tap any letter to hear it.
Digraphs consonant pairs
Not separate letters, but essential for reading Vietnamese. ph = "f", th = aspirated "t", ng = like "sing" but at the start.
Also: gh (= "g" before e, ê, i) and ngh (= "ng" before e, ê, i).
The 7 Letters Unique to Vietnamese
These are the letters that make the Vietnamese alphabet distinct from English. If you're learning Vietnamese, mastering these seven characters is your first real milestone. Each is formed by adding a diacritic mark to a base Latin letter:
Vietnamese Alphabet vs English Alphabet
The Vietnamese and English alphabets are close relatives — both use Latin letters — but they're not identical. Here's a quick comparison:
Another key difference: some shared letters make very different sounds. Vietnamese "d" sounds like English "z" (in the North) or "y" (in the South), while Vietnamese "x" sounds like English "s". Don't assume a letter sounds the same just because it looks familiar!
Northern vs Southern Vietnamese Pronunciation
Several consonants sound completely different depending on region. The audio on this page uses Northern (Hanoi) pronunciation — here's how the South differs:
Northern (Hanoi) This guide
| d | like zoo |
| gi | like zoo |
| r | like zoo |
| v | like van |
| tr | like chair |
| s | like sun |
Southern (Saigon)
| d | like yes |
| gi | like yes |
| r | rolled r |
| v | like yes |
| tr | like true (tongue curled) |
| s | like shoe |
Both are correct — just different accents. If you learn one, you'll understand the other with practice.
How Tone Marks Work with the Alphabet
On top of the letter diacritics (like the breve on ă or the horn on ơ), Vietnamese adds tone marks to vowels. Vietnamese has six tones, and each tone is written with its own diacritic. This means a single vowel can carry two marks at once:
The tone marks change the pitch of your voice, while the letter diacritics change the vowel sound itself. They work on different layers — and both matter for meaning. See our complete Vietnamese Tones Guide to learn all six tones with audio.
Vietnamese Pronunciation Tips
The alphabet is just the starting point. Here are practical tips for pronouncing Vietnamese letters correctly:
Watch Out for "d" vs "đ"
This is the #1 beginner trap. Vietnamese d = "z" (North) or "y" (South). Vietnamese đ = the "d" sound you expect. They look similar but sound completely different.
Northern vs Southern Sounds
Several consonants change between regions: d, gi, r sound like "z" in the North but "y", "y", "r" in the South. v stays "v" in the North but becomes "y" in the South.
Vietnamese "x" = English "s"
Don't pronounce "x" like "ks". Vietnamese x always sounds like "s" in "sun". So "xin" (please) sounds like "sin".
Listen, Then Speak
Play each letter above multiple times before trying to say it. Your ear needs to learn the sound before your mouth can produce it.
Practice Vietnamese Pronunciation with Real-Time Feedback
Hearing the letters is the first step. The PhoSpeak app lets you record your own voice and compare it to native speakers — so you can practice every letter, tone, and word with instant visual feedback.
Want personalized guidance? Book a lesson with a native Vietnamese teacher.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Vietnamese Alphabet
How many letters are in the Vietnamese alphabet?
The Vietnamese alphabet has 29 letters. It's based on the Latin alphabet but adds 7 unique letters (ă, â, đ, ê, ô, ơ, ư) and removes 4 English letters (f, j, w, z).
What letters are unique to Vietnamese?
Seven letters are unique to Vietnamese: ă (a-breve), â (a-circumflex), đ (d-stroke), ê (e-circumflex), ô (o-circumflex), ơ (o-horn), and ư (u-horn). Each represents a sound that doesn't exist in English.
Is the Vietnamese alphabet hard to learn?
The alphabet is one of the easiest parts of learning Vietnamese. Since it uses Latin letters, English speakers can already recognize most of them. The main challenge is learning the 7 new letters and understanding that some familiar letters (like d, x, and r) make different sounds in Vietnamese. Most learners can read the alphabet within a day or two.
Does Vietnamese use the Latin alphabet?
Yes. Vietnamese uses a modified Latin alphabet called chữ Quốc ngữ, developed by Portuguese and French missionaries in the 17th century. Before that, Vietnamese was written using Chinese characters (chữ Hán) and a Vietnamese adaptation called chữ Nôm.
What English letters are not in Vietnamese?
Four English letters are not part of the standard Vietnamese alphabet: F, J, W, and Z. However, they may appear in loanwords and foreign names used in Vietnam.
How do tone marks work with Vietnamese letters?
Vietnamese has 6 tones, each shown by a diacritic mark on the main vowel. For example, "a" can become á (rising), à (falling), ả (questioning), ã (broken), or ạ (heavy). These tone marks are separate from the letter diacritics — so a letter like "ơ" can also carry a tone mark, becoming ớ, ờ, ở, ỡ, or ợ.
What is the difference between ơ and o in Vietnamese?
They're completely different vowels. O sounds like "o" in "for", while ơ has no direct English equivalent — it's similar to the "u" in "fur" without the r sound. The horn mark creates a distinct vowel, not just a variation.
What are Vietnamese digraphs?
Digraphs are pairs of consonant letters that create a single sound: ch, gh, gi, kh, ng, nh, ph, th, and tr. For example, "ph" makes an "f" sound (not like English "phone"), and "ng" makes the sound at the end of "sing" — but at the beginning of Vietnamese words.