Vietnamese Consonant Sounds That Don't Exist in English

April 25, 2026· 2 min read

Vietnamese consonants are generally easier than the tones, but several sounds don't exist in English. Here's how to produce each one.

Ng / Ngh — The Initial "ng"

English has this sound, but only at the END of words ("singing"). Vietnamese puts it at the beginning: "nghe" (listen), "người" (person), "ngày" (day).

Practice: Say "singing." Now drop the "si-" and start from "-nging." Stretch that "ng" sound. Now say "nghe." It's the same sound, just at the start.

Nh — The "ny" Sound

Like Spanish "ñ" or the "ny" in "canyon": "nhà" (house), "nhiều" (many), "nhỏ" (small).

Practice: Say "canyon" slowly. The "ny" in the middle is the Vietnamese "nh." Now put it at the beginning: "nhà."

Kh — The Breathy "k"

Like the "ch" in German "Bach" or Scottish "loch": "không" (no), "khách" (guest), "khi" (when).

Practice: Say "k" but let air flow continuously, creating a friction sound. It's between "k" and "h."

Đ vs D

This confuses everyone:

Đ (đ) — Pronounced like English "d" in "dog"
D (d) — Pronounced like "z" (North) or "y" (South)

So "đi" (go) sounds like "dee," but "da" (skin) sounds like "za" (North) or "ya" (South).

Gi

Pronounced the same as "d" — like "z" (North) or "y" (South). "Gia" (family) = "za" or "ya."

Tr (Northern)

In Northern Vietnamese, "tr" is a retroflex sound — curl your tongue back and release. In Southern Vietnamese, it's just "ch." "Trời" (sky): "chrời" (North) or "chời" (South).

Final Consonants

Vietnamese has unreleased final consonants — your mouth goes to the position but doesn't release air:

-p, -t, -c/k — Lips close (p), tongue touches ridge (t), or back of throat closes (c/k), but no air comes out
-m, -n, -ng/nh — Nasal finals, similar to English

This is why Vietnamese words often sound "cut off" to English ears. They are — deliberately.

For WELE Practice

When you miss consonants in dictation, it's usually these tricky ones. Pay special attention to ng-, nh-, and the đ/d distinction. Mastering these sounds will boost your scores significantly.