Dear VinaTowners,

Every Thursday, you learn a new thing little by little with VinaPronuncia. Maybe you haven’t seen your improvement yet but it will reflect in the long run. Today, let’s study another interesting thing: diphthongs starting with “o”. It will quickly sound familiar to you. Why? Let’s get started!

Lesson 11: Vietnamese diphthongs with O

1/oa

Đóa Hoa (bunch of flower)

Họa sĩ (artist/painter)

Cái loa (megaphones/speakers)

In the diphthong “oa”, O is pronounced a bit like a W: “WA” or “OWA”, without insisting on it but without separating the two letters.

2/oe

Oe oe (baby’s cry)

Đỏ hoe (reddish)

Xòe tay (to open one’s hand)

Like previously, O + E is pronounced a bit like “WE” or “OWE”. Should we remind you that it is a British “w”, not the German one?

3/oi

Củ tỏi (garlic)

Vòi voi (heliotrope)

Đòi hỏi (to demand)

Even easier, the “o” and “i” are both pronounced as they are, but quickly in to one sound.

Although in previous lesson, “y” “a”, “â” and “u” (you will learn later) to create new diphthongs, “y” does not like o’s family because they are “obese” and will not “back them up”. Similarly, “iy” does not exist as people with the same name (same pronunciation) don’t like to go together.

Next time we’ll go further into exploring diphthongs of “i”. Have fun with today’s new vocabulary in waiting.