The finals NH and CH only come after a, ê and i (anh, ếch, ích). After ê and i, always NH / CH, never ng / c (bệnh, ích). After a, both exist and make different words (anh / ang, ách / ác). In the South, -nh sounds like -n (anh = /an/).
anh · bánh · ích · bệnh · sạch
c or k?
Same /k/ sound. Write K before i, e, ê, y, and C before every other vowel.
kẹo · kêu · kỳ · cá · cơm · con
uô or ua?
One vowel: written uô when a final follows (muốn), ua when there is none (mua).
muốn · uống · mua · chùa
Quick answers
How do you pronounce bánh cuốn?
Block by block: a → nh → anh → b → banh → sắc → bánh · uô → n → uôn → c → cuôn → sắc → cuốn. Tone: bánh: sắc (acute accent · high rising) · cuốn: sắc (acute accent · high rising). Read each block aloud, then compare with the recording, in a Southern or a Northern voice.
What tone is bánh cuốn?
bánh: sắc (acute accent · high rising) · cuốn: sắc (acute accent · high rising)
Is bánh cuốn said differently in the South and the North?