Setting Up Vietnamese Keyboard Input: The Complete Telex Guide
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You can't practice Vietnamese dictation without a Vietnamese keyboard. Telex is the most popular input method — here's how to set it up on every platform.
What Is Telex?
Telex lets you type Vietnamese using a standard QWERTY keyboard by adding extra keystrokes for diacritics and tones. No special hardware needed.
The Telex Rules
| Type | Get | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aa | â | taam → tâm |
| aw | ă | awn → ăn |
| ee | ê | teen → tên |
| oo | ô | toon → tôn |
| ow | ơ | mow → mơ |
| uw | ư | tuw → tư |
| dd | đ | ddi → đi |
Tone Marks
| Type after vowel | Tone | Example |
|---|---|---|
| s | Sắc (rising) á | bas → bá |
| f | Huyền (falling) à | baf → bà |
| r | Hỏi (questioning) ả | bar → bả |
| x | Ngã (tumbling) ã | bax → bã |
| j | Nặng (heavy) ạ | baj → bạ |
Setup by Platform
Windows
Go to Settings → Time & Language → Language → Add a language → Vietnamese. Select the Telex keyboard. Switch with Win+Space.
macOS
System Preferences → Keyboard → Input Sources → Add (+) → Vietnamese → Vietnamese Telex. Switch with Ctrl+Space or the menu bar icon.
iOS
Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Vietnamese → Telex.
Android
Most keyboards (Gboard, SwiftKey) support Vietnamese. Go to keyboard settings → Languages → Add Vietnamese.
Practice Tip
Type these 10 words to get comfortable: xin chào, cảm ơn, tạm biệt, vâng, không, tôi, bạn, ăn, uống, đi. Once these feel natural, you're ready for WELE dictation.