Vietnamese has six written tones — but in real Saigon speech, two of them merge into one, leaving five sounds. Those five are what decide whether a local understands you. Ten quick questions, real Saigon audio, instant feedback.
How it works
You'll hear one Vietnamese word at a time, spoken by a native Saigon speaker. Listen, then tap the name of the tone you heard. Ten questions, about two minutes.
A tone is the pitch your voice moves through on a word — flat, rising, falling or dipping. Say the same word with a different tone and you have said a different word entirely. That is why a phrase you practiced gets you a blank look.
In Saigon, mả and mã sound the same — 6 written tones, 5 spoken sounds.
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6 written tones, 5 spoken sounds. In Saigon, the hỏi and ngã tones merge — so mả and mã sound identical. That's not a mistake; it's how locals actually speak.
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Every word here is free — Tones & Alphabet is a free subject, and this drill stays free. Pro unlocks the rest of your trip: ordering, bargaining, Grab, the market, the doctor. See Pro plans →