Ma Series Practice
Practice all 6 tones on the classic syllable ma (ma má mà mả mã mạ) with audio references.
LOCK
Lock Northern before the mic
Northern: 6 spoken tones. ngã has a break. nặng has a final catch. Pitch is not enough.
Voice
Northern mả (hỏi, dip) is not mã (ngã, broken). Southern merger is out of scope on this chart.
This syllable
ma
ghost
Lock dialect before recording.
The six Northern tones
| Word | Tone | What to produce |
|---|---|---|
| ma | ngang | Steady mid. No rise, no fall. |
| má | sắc | Rise through the vowel. |
| mà | huyền | Low and falling. |
| mả | hỏi | Dip, then come back up. No break. |
| mã | ngã | Rise, then break. Pitch alone is not enough. |
| mạ | nặng | Drop and catch. Pitch alone is not enough. |
Focus on the Hardest Tonal Contrasts
Master minimal pairs and specific regional tone pairs with our dedicated practice guides.
Ngang vs Huyền
Master the baseline contrast: holding a sustained flat mid-level line vs a gentle downward slope.
Hỏi vs Ngã
The classic contrast: continuous dipping-rising scoop vs mid-syllable glottal catch.
Sắc vs Ngã
Acoustic distinction: smooth rising glide vs high-broken glottal interruption.
Sắc vs Nặng
Opposite trajectories: high rising climb vs sudden downward plunge and glottal cutoff.
Huyền vs Nặng
Low-register pair: relaxed full-length low fall vs short clipped drop with vocal cord catch.
Hỏi vs Nặng
Rebound vs cutoff: smooth dipping-rising scoop vs heavy downward drop and glottal lock.
Sắc vs Huyền
Opposite diagonals: sharp upward question climb vs relaxed downward sigh.
Northern vs Southern
Learn why Southern Vietnamese merges Hỏi and Ngã into 5 spoken tones while Northern keeps 6.
Tone Marks & Diacritics
Complete guide to the 6 accent marks, vowel modifiers (ă, â, ê, ô, ơ, ư), and Chao pitch numbers.
Common Words Pronunciation
Learn why words like phở, bánh mì, and cảm ơn get misunderstood and how to say them accurately.
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