Acoustic Contrast · High Register Pairs
Both tones reach high vocal registers, but their internal trajectories are fundamentally different. Master the continuous glide on dấu sắc vs the momentary vocal pause on dấu ngã with minimal pair practice.
Acoustic Anatomy
In both speech synthesis and human perception, distinguishing these two tones depends on whether the vocal folds maintain uninterrupted vibration.
Dấu Sắc (/) · High Rising
Contour: Mid-range start gliding sharply upward to high register.
Sensation: Similar to asking an enthusiastic question in English (e.g. "Really?"). Vocal cords stay vibrating smoothly throughout the entire vowel.
Example: má (mother / cheek)
Dấu Ngã (~) · High Broken Glottal
Contour: Mid-high onset, brief glottal constriction, and high release.
Sensation: Similar to the sudden stop in the middle of "uh-oh". Vibration ceases for roughly 50-80ms before kicking upward into high register.
Example: mã (horse / code)
Select minimal pair to test
Target Syllable
má
Target: Dấu Sắc (smooth rising glide)
Contour Reference (Northern Standard)
Listen to the smooth upward glide, then record your attempt.
Speak in a quiet room. We verify signal clarity and duration first so you never receive fake scores from noisy audio.
Your single correction cue
Focus on this one adjustment on your next attempt.
Curriculum Decks
Distinguishing these everyday pairs avoids miscommunication across Vietnam.
| Pair | Sắc Word (Rising) | Ngã Word (High Broken) | Key Diagnostic Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | má — Mother (South) / Cheek | mã — Horse / Code / Appearance | Smooth rise on má vs mid-vowel glottal catch on mã. |
| 2 | chó — Dog | chõ — Sticky-rice steamer pot | Keep chó clear and rising; let chõ break before rising. |
| 3 | lá — Leaf | lã — Plain / unboiled water | Smooth breath stream for lá; brief vocal constriction for lã. |
| 4 | báo — Newspaper / Announce | bão — Typhoon / Storm | Unbroken climb on báo; distinctive creaky catch on bão. |
Regional Phonology
In Southern Vietnam, dấu ngã merges with dấu hỏi into a dipping contour. Consequently, a Southern speaker will rarely pronounce mã with a high rising glottal break—they will pronounce it like mả.
Our tool uses standard Northern reference audio for this drill so learners can hear and practice the distinct acoustic break before adjusting to regional mergers.
We believe in honest calibration. We tell you which dialect baseline is active rather than applying an arbitrary generic threshold.
Take Practice Further
The mobile app provides full contrast decks, multi-syllable phrases, and sensorimotor trace calibration.