1. Overview of the Vietnamese Alphabet

The modern Vietnamese alphabet, called Chữ Quốc Ngữ, consists of 29 letters. It is a system built on the Latin script but has been enhanced with diacritics to match the unique sounds of the Vietnamese language. One of the most remarkable features of Vietnamese is its rich tonal system, which plays a key role in distinguishing the meaning of words and contributes to the language's melodic quality.

1.1. Structure of the Vietnamese Alphabet

The Vietnamese alphabet is divided into two main groups: vowels and consonants.

• Vowels: These are the core components that form syllables, producing open sounds without obstruction. The vowels include: a, ă, â, ê, i, o, ô, ơ, u, ư, y.
• Consonants: These components usually appear at the beginning or end of syllables, creating sounds by blocking airflow during pronunciation. The consonants include: b, c, d, đ, g, h, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, x.
• Consonant Digraphs and Trigraphs: A key feature of Vietnamese spelling is the use of consonant combinations to represent single, unique sounds. The most common ones are: ch, gh, gi, kh, ng, ngh, nh, ph, th, tr. For example, 'ph' creates an /f/ sound as in "Phở", and 'nh' creates a /ɲ/ sound similar to the 'ny' in "canyon".

Letter combinations in the Vietnamese alphabet

Besides, Vietnamese has several vowels with additional circumflex or breve marks to create completely separate sounds. These variations are necessary to accurately record the distinctive sounds that the original Latin alphabet cannot express.

For example, "ă" is a short "a" sound, commonly found in the word "ăn" (to eat); "â" is a rounded "a" sound, as in "cần" (to need); "ê" is a tense "e" sound, like in "kê" (to place); "ô" is a rounded "o" sound, as in "tổ" (nest); "ơ" is a flat "o" sound, like in "bơ" (avocado); and "ư" is an unrounded "u" sound, as in "tư" (thought).

1.2. Tone Marks in Vietnamese

Vietnamese is a tonal language, and its system of 6 tones is essential for determining a word's meaning.

• The level tone (thanh ngang): no mark, a mid-level even pitch. Example: ma (ghost).
• The falling tone (thanh huyền): grave accent (`), a low, falling pitch. Example: mà (but).
• The rising tone (thanh sắc): acute accent (´), a high, rising pitch. Example: má (mother).
• The hook tone (thanh hỏi): question mark-like symbol ( ̉), a low dipping then rising pitch. Example: mả (grave).
• The creaky tone (thanh ngã): tilde (~), a high, rising tone with a glottal break in the middle. Example: mã (horse).
• The heavy tone (thanh nặng): dot below (.), a low, falling tone that is cut off abruptly. Example: mạ (rice seedling).

Vietnamese is a tonal language, and its system of 6 tones is essential for determining a word's meaning.

Changing the tone mark completely changes a word’s meaning, even if the letters remain the same.

For example, the word "ma" can become "mà", "má", "mả", "mã", "mạ", each carrying a distinct meaning. Tone marks are represented by symbols placed above or below the main vowel in the syllable.

2. History and Development of the Vietnamese Alphabet

Before the 17th century, Vietnamese was written using the Nôm script, a complex system based on Chinese characters adapted for the Vietnamese language. However, this script was difficult to learn and was not widely accessible to the general population.

In the 17th century, Western missionaries—notably the Portuguese Jesuit Francisco de Pina, and later standardized by the French Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes—played a key role in developing a romanised script to aid in their missionary work. Based on the Latin alphabet, they added diacritics for tones and special characters (such as đ, ă, â) to record Vietnamese sounds accurately. This script, Chữ Quốc Ngữ, was later adopted and promoted by the Vietnamese people.

Its official use significantly helped to eliminate illiteracy, popularise education, and foster the strong development of modern Vietnamese culture, science, and journalism.

The Vietnamese alphabet was developed based on the Latin alphabet and has differences in vowels and consonants

3. Applications of the Vietnamese Alphabet in Tourism and Learning

The Vietnamese alphabet is crucial for promoting culture, tourism, and education, helping foreigners access and understand the Vietnamese language and its people more deeply.

3.1. Learning the Vietnamese Alphabet for Foreigners

For foreigners, learning the alphabet is the essential first step. There are many effective methods to approach this system.

• Learning through flashcards: A highly visual and convenient method for memorising letters and vocabulary, but it can lack context for developing communication skills.
• Listening and repeating through audio/video: Focuses on practising pronunciation and getting familiar with natural intonation, though learners often find it difficult to replicate the tones accurately without feedback.
• Group learning with native teachers: Learners can join Vietnamese classes to interact and practise communication. This method helps improve grammar and pronunciation faster than self-study but requires time and financial investment.

Learning with the locals is the best way to learn the Vietnamese language

Common difficulties for learners include:

• Confusing the six tones: Practice listening and speaking frequently.
• Pronouncing special vowels: Use instructional videos and practice with native speakers.
• Memorising letter shapes: Use images, word games, and practise writing daily.

People can also apply these tips:

• Practice reading each letter and word aloud daily.
• Record your voice to compare with standard samples.
• Study in groups to increase motivation and correct each other's mistakes.
• Combine images and games for better memory retention.

3.2. The Vietnamese Alphabet in Culture and Media

The Vietnamese alphabet has high applicability and is commonly used in cultural and media fields through various forms:

• Applications in documents, journalism, and television: The Vietnamese alphabet is the main tool for conveying information, education, and entertainment across all modern media.
• Preserving intangible cultural heritage: Thanks to its ability to accurately record sounds and meanings, the alphabet helps preserve folk songs, proverbs, fairy tales, folk music, and traditional cultural values.

4. Comparing the Vietnamese Alphabet with Other Alphabets in the World

Some differences between the Vietnamese alphabet and other world alphabets include:

1 - The Latin Alphabet

• Similarities: The Vietnamese alphabet is based on Latin characters, making it more accessible to speakers of European languages.
• Differences: Vietnamese has additional marked characters (ă, â, đ, ê, ô, ơ, ư) and a complex system of tone marks to distinguish phonemes and word meanings clearly.

The Latin Alphabet. (Source: Freepik)

2 - The Japanese Alphabet

• Similarities: Both Vietnamese and Japanese have character systems used to represent syllables.
• Differences: The Japanese writing system is far more complex, using three main scripts concurrently: two syllabaries (Hiragana and Katakana), where each character represents a syllable, and Kanji (logographic characters adopted from Chinese). Japanese is a pitch-accent language, not a tonal one like Vietnamese.

The Japanese alphabet uses the pictographic and has no tone marking system. (Source: Freepik)

3 - The Chinese Alphabet

• Similarities: Both languages are tonal.
• Differences: Chinese uses logographic characters, where each character represents a word or morpheme. While Mandarin Chinese has a clear tonal system (typically four main tones), these tones are not represented by diacritics on the characters themselves. Instead, they are indicated in romanised transcriptions like Pinyin.

The Chinese alphabets uses pictographic characters and has no alphabet in the Western sense. (Source: Freepik)

The advantages and limitations of the Vietnamese alphabet including:

Advantages:

• Easy to learn for people who know Latin script
• Clear distinction of sounds through tone marks
• Convenient for digitization, printing, and communication

Limitations:

• Tone marks cause difficulties for foreign beginners
• Some sounds don't exist in other languages, making standard pronunciation difficult

The alphabet in Vietnamese is a unique combination of the Latin character system and distinctive local phonetic elements. Mastering the alphabet and tone marks not only helps with effective communication but also contributes to preserving and developing national culture in the era of global integration.