TAP TO REVEAL MEANING
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Vietnamese word
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The 6 tones differentiate words completely. A wrong tone is a wrong word. Spend extra time here — the investment pays off for the entire 30 weeks.
Click each tone to expand its full description, pronunciation guide, pitch shape, example words, and the most common mistakes learners make.
Each tone traces a specific pitch contour through time. Hover over a curve to highlight it. Toggle tones using the legend below the chart to compare them.
This is the most famous example in Vietnamese tone learning. The syllable "ma" spoken in each of the six tones produces six completely different words. Memorize this table — it's your tone benchmark for the entire course.
| Tone | Word | Tone mark | Pitch shape | Meaning | Vietnamese name |
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Three challenge levels. Start with Mark ID (easiest), then Name ID, then Word ID (hardest). Aim for 90% accuracy on each mode before moving on.
Drag each Vietnamese word into its correct tone bucket. Click words to place them if drag doesn't work on your device.
Select a tone, then draw its pitch contour on the canvas with your mouse or finger. The game will check if your shape matches the correct contour.
Identify the tone on the highlighted word within a real Vietnamese sentence. Context makes it harder — and more realistic.
These are the exact drills recommended in the curriculum: "Use minimal pairs until tones feel automatic." Hover any word to reveal its meaning. Say each word aloud — the differences must be automatic.
Every card this week has a tone focus. The goal isn't just to learn the word — it's to feel the tone in your body when you say it. Rate yourself: only mark "Good" if you produced the correct tone without hesitation.
These are the exact card types recommended for your Anki deck this week. Click each card to mark it as known. The Anki tone recognition deck should have one card per tone + the minimal pair set.
Recognition cards: front shows a Vietnamese word, back shows tone name + pronunciation. Goal: see the mark → name the tone instantly.
Production cards: front shows tone name, back shows the mark + 3 example words. Goal: hear the name → draw the pitch shape in the air.
Minimal pair cards: front shows two similar words, back shows both meanings. Goal: see the pair → immediately say both with correct tones.
These mnemonics have helped thousands of learners lock in tone recognition. They're not perfect — but they give you a mental hook until the tone becomes automatic.
Shadowing is the single most effective technique for tone acquisition. Here's the exact protocol for Week 2. Check each step as you complete a session.
Lessons 6–10 are where tones become embedded in real vocabulary. You'll stop thinking about tones as a separate system and start hearing them as part of words. Here's what each lesson introduces.
Week 2 is tone-intensive. Every session has a tone component. Check off each activity as you complete it.
Three core resources this week, plus supplementary tools. Pimsleur is non-negotiable. The YouTube drilling videos and Anki tone cards fill the gaps.
No new apps this week. If you added VietnamesePod101 in Week 1, use it for supplementary listening only — tones are the primary focus.
Before moving to Week 3 (Greetings & Introductions), you should be able to confirm all of these. Be honest with yourself — there's no penalty for spending more time here.