Lesson 05: How To Spell Vietnamese - Group 03 Consonants can be both initial and closing

Summary: LLet's continue the journey of learning how to spell Vietnamese letter by letter with the third group of Initial and Closing Consonants. As discussed in the previous lesson, we will systematically divide the 29 vowels and consonants (including their diphthongs, triphthongs, digraphs, and trigraphs) into four manageable groups, each following similar rules in spelling. Get ready to delve into the intricacies of Vietnamese spelling as we progress through these groups.

• Part 01: Simple Vowels and Consonants that can only play one role in a word.
• Part 02: Initial Consonants and their digraphs.
• Part 03: Consonants, and their digraphs and trigraphs that can be both initial and closing.
• Part 04: Other Vowels with diphthongs and triphthongs.
• Part 05: Sum-up table & practice how to spell Vietnamese.

Learning and mastering all the spelling rules presented in these lessons typically takes a Vietnamese child one to two years. Consequently, it may take you several days to grasp and practice these rules, but they are essential for your journey through "Learn Vietnamese 30 Days".

Blog Writer's Notes:

1. All rules outlined here apply to standard Vietnamese, which is based on the Northern Vietnamese dialect.
2. The Southern Vietnamese dialect alters the pronunciation of some consonants but does not affect their written form. Written Vietnamese always adheres to standard Vietnamese.
3. Explanation of Some Terms Used in This Lesson:

• Diphthongs and Triphthongs are combinations of two or three vowels. They may or may not alter the pronunciation of the original vowel.
• Digraphs and Trigraphs are combinations of two or three consonants. They may or may not alter the pronunciation of the original consonant.

1. Introduce Group 3 - Consonants can be both initial and closing

Let's explore the intriguing characteristics of five consonants: C, M, N, P, and T. What sets them apart is their versatility, as they can function both as initial and closing consonants. Moreover, they are involved in numerous digraphs and one trigraph.

Letters	Initial consonants		Vowels			Closing consonants
	Conso-nants	Di-graphs & Tri-graphs	Vowels	Diph-thongs	Triph-thongs	Conso-nants	Di-graphs
c	c	ch				c	ch
m	m					m
n	n	nh, ng, ngh				n	nh, ng
p	p	ph				p
t	t	th, tr				t

Note: Click to play

2. Consonant C and its digraph.

While C and CH have distinct sounds, their initial and closing variants share the same pronunciation.

Initial consonant	Vowel	Closing consonant	The complete word	English
C	ô		Cô	(Female) Teacher
C	ây		Cây	Tree
Ch	a		Cha	Dad
Ch	ơi		Chơi	Play
	Á	c	Ác	Cruel
	Ế	ch	Ếch	Frog
C	á	ch	Cách xa	Distant
Ch	ắ	c	Chắc	Sure/Durable

Note: Click to play

Quiz 01: Which is the correct spelling of this audio?

(Note: Click to play audio. Correct answer button will turn green)

3. Consonant M.

Both the initial and closing M produce identical sounds, and they do not participate in any digraphs or trigraphs.

Initial consonant	Vowel	Closing consonant	The complete word	English
M	ẹ		Mẹ	Mother
	E	m	Em	Younger sister/brother
M	ề	m	Mềm	Soft

Note: Click to play

Quiz 02: Which is the correct spelling of this audio?

(Note: Click to play audio. Correct answer button will turn green)

4. Consonant N, and its digraphs and trigraph.

The initial and closing forms sound alike. However, in Southern Vietnamese dialects, the closing N is articulated as NG or NH.

• When following A, Â, Ă, E, Ơ, U, Ư, Y (and their diphthongs and triphthongs), the closing consonant “N” is pronounced as “Ng”. This means “An” becomes “Ang”, “Ăn” becomes “Ăng”, “Sen” becomes “Seng”, etc.
• When following I (excluding its diphthongs and triphthongs), the closing consonant “N” is pronounced as “NH”, except in the words “Pin” and “Phin” (possibly because they’re loanwords). This means “Tin” becomes “Tinh”, “Xin” becomes “Xinh”, etc.
• If following Ê, O, Ô (excluding their diphthongs and triphthongs), the pronunciation of the closing consonant “N” remains unchanged.

NG and NGH are employed differently in written Vietnamese, akin to G/GH, but NGH cannot be used as a closing consonant digraph:

• NG is paired with A, Â, Ă, O, Ô, Ơ, U, Ư, and their diphthongs and triphthongs.
• NGH is paired with E, Ê, I, and their diphthongs and triphthongs.

Initial consonant	Vowel	Closing consonant	The complete word	English
N	ai		Nai	(Sambar) Deer
Nh	à		Nhà	House
Ng	ọ		Ngọ	Horse
Ngh	e		Nghe	Listen/Hear
	Ă	n	Ăn	Eat
	A	nh	Anh	Older brother
	Ô	ng	Ông	Grandpa
N	ê	n	Nên	Should
Nh	a	nh	Nhanh	Fast
Ng	a	ng	Ngang	Horizontal
Ngh	iê	ng	Nghiêng	Incline

Note: Click to play

Quiz 03: Which is the correct spelling of this audio?

(Note: Click to play audio. Correct answer button will turn green)

Quiz 04: Which is the correct spelling of this audio?

(Note: Click to play audio. Correct answer button will turn green)

5. Consonant P and its consonant digraph.

Let's delve into the distinctions between P and PH:

• P serves as both an initial and closing consonant, with initial P being less common. Interestingly, the closing consonant “P” is pronounced similarly to the initial consonant “PH”.
• PH exclusively functions as an initial consonant but is more frequently utilized.

Initial consonant	Vowel	Closing consonant	The complete word	English
P	in		Pin	Battery
Ph	a		Pha	Add water
	É	p	Ép	Squeeze

Note: Click to play

Quiz 05: Which is the correct spelling of this audio?

(Note: Click to play audio. Correct answer button will turn green)

6. Consonant T and its digraphs.

Now, let's examine T, TH, and TR:

• T can fulfill roles as both an initial and closing consonant.
• On the other hand, TH and TR solely serve as initial consonants.

However, in Southern Vietnamese dialects, the closing T can also be pronounced as closing C or CH.

• When following a, â, ă, e, ơ, u, and ư (and their diphthongs and triphthongs), the closing consonant “T” is pronounced as “C”. This means “Lát” becomes “Lác”, “Hớt” becomes “Hớc”, “Lứt” becomes “Lức”, etc.
• When following i, y (excluding their diphthongs and triphthongs), the closing consonant “T” is pronounced as “CH”. Thus, “Mít” becomes “Mích”, “Quít” becomes “Quích”, etc.
• If following ê, o, ô (excluding their diphthongs and triphthongs), the pronunciation of the closing consonant “T” remains unchanged.

Note: While formal Southern Vietnamese dialect maintains the pronunciation of the initial digraph TR, informal and spoken Vietnamese in the South (particularly rural areas) often pronounce the initial digraph TR as CH. For instance, “Tre” becomes “Che”, “Trời” becomes “Chời”, etc.

Initial consonant	Vowel	Closing consonant	The complete word	English
T	ê		Tê	Numb
Th	ay		Thay	Replace
Tr	e		Tre	Bamboo
T	ế	t	Tết	Lunar New Year
Th	é	t	Thét	Scream
Tr	ú	t	Trút	Pour/Dump out

Note: Click to play

Quiz 06: Which is the correct spelling of this audio?

(Note: Click to play audio. Correct answer button will turn green)

Don't forget to incorporate daily Vietnamese spelling practice into your routine. It will greatly aid you on your Learn Vietnamese 30 Days journey. Until the next lesson:

Good bye and see you in the next lesson!