Section 4: Combined Vowels – Diphthongs 1

Beside single vowels, Vietnamese has a range of combined vowels, also known as Vowel clusters or diphthongs.

This section focuses on the following sounds:

AI – AO – AU – AY

ÂU – ÂY

IA – IÊ – YÊ

EO – ÊU

1. Sounds starting with A and Â

Some of the sounds appear in English, making them easy to pronounce:

1.  AI: as in Like, High, Nice
   Trai – Gái – Hai – Bài – Mải
   
   
2.  AO: as in Now, How, Shout
   Chào – Nào – Báo – Giáo – Cao
   
3.  ÂU: as in No, Show, Toe
   Dâu – Cậu – Nấu – Đầu – Hậu
   
4.  ÂY: as in Day, May, Say
   Cây – Mấy – Đây – Xây – Thầy

“AU” and “AY”, meanwhile, do not have an equivalent in English. To articulate these sounds:

1.  AU: Open your mouth wide as if pronouncing “ah” (imagine when you go to the dentist). Then quickly close your mouth and push your lips to form a round shape to make the “u” sound.
   Cháu – Sau – Màu – Táu – Cáu
   
2.  AY: Open your mouth wide to the sides. Then quickly close the gap between the upper and lower teeth to produce the /i/ sound.
   Nay – May – Dạy – Tay – Máy
   

* NOTES: 

• AO vs. AU: The difference between these sounds is determined by the speed at which you close your mouth. If you close it slowly, you are producing the AO sound. Quickly round your lips and you produce the AU sound.
• AI vs. AY: The difference lies in the width of the mouth. At the start position of AI</spam, you should feel some tension around the cheek. Meanwhile, for AY, the cheek muscles are more relaxed.

2. Sounds starting with I and Y

1.  IU: as in New, Few, You
   Dịu – Xíu – Chịu
   

    

2.  IA – IÊ – YÊ: as in Here, Ear, Near
   These are the three variations of spelling for the same sound.
   • IA is used when there is NO other letter behind the pair.
   • IÊ and YÊ are used when there are other letters behind them.
     • IÊ is used when there is a consonant in front of the pair.
     • YÊ is used when there is NO consonant in front of the pair.

   
   Examples:

   • Kìa – Chia – Đĩa – Mía – Tia
   • Kiến – Thiết – Diễn – Miền – Tiệm
   • Yêu – Yếm – Yên

3. Sounds starting with E and Ê

1.  EO: as in Fell, Yell, Sell
   Béo – Kẹo – Mèo – Chéo
   
2.  ÊU: To produce this sound, open your mouth slightly, and make the side of your tongue touch your teeth. This will help you make the Ê sound. Then gradually round your lips to make the U sound. The end project is the ÊU sound.
   Nếu – Kêu – Đều – Mếu
   

Let’s have some practice: