The Six Tones
One syllable can be six different words. The tone is what tells them apart.
Chapter 3 of 4Page 1 of 3
Six Tones, One Syllable
Here is one syllable said six ways. Vietnamese writes six tones, but you'll hear five, because hỏi and ngã sound the same.
ngang
huyền
sắc
hỏi
ngã
nặng
The line beside each word traces its pitch.
The tone belongs to the word, just as much as the letters do. Write all six marks even where two of them sound alike. The spelling is the same all over Vietnam.