Everyday Vietnamese

How to pronounce ông

ông
Without marks
ong
Syllables
1 · ông
Tone
ngang (no mark · level)
Meaning
grandfather
Frequency
No. 31 among the most used words

ông, block by block

Each line adds one piece. Read it aloud, then tap a card to compare: a consonant plays the way it is spelled at school (ph = “phờ”).

Spelled the Vietnamese school wayô ngờ ông

ônggrandfather

Every tone

The same letters without a tone (the root), then with each tone the spelling allows: some are words, some only possible syllables.

Southern or Northern?

South · Sài Gòn

said as written

North · Hà Nội

said as written

Same sound, different spelling: the accent changes the sound, never the written word.

“ong” without the marks

5 other real words are spelled ong apart from the marks. Only the marks tell them from ông.

  • ổnghe, him (that man)
  • ốngtube, pipe
  • ongbee
  • óngglossy, silky
  • ỏngbloated, swollen (belly)

Read ông? Then you can read these

Same rhyme, same tone: only the first consonant changes. That's how the app teaches reading, from words you know to every word that sounds like them.

Like ông

  • khôngno, not
  • trôngto look, to appear
  • sôngriver
  • môngbuttock
  • bôngflower
  • lônghair, fur
  • đôngwinter
  • tôngtone, shade (color/sound)

Any other word, and your own words: in the app.

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Quick answers

How do you pronounce ông?

Block by block: ô → ng → ông. Tone: ngang (no mark · level). Read each block aloud, then compare with the recording, in a Southern or a Northern voice.

What tone is ông?

ngang (no mark · level)

Is ông said differently in the South and the North?

Both accents say ông as it is written.

What does “ong” mean without the marks?

Without the marks, ong can be several words: ổng (he, him (that man)), ống (tube, pipe), ong (bee), óng (glossy, silky), ỏng (bloated, swollen (belly)). The marks decide which one.

What does ông mean?

grandfather; Mr.

More: Everyday words

All the words →
Free toolVietnamese alphabet chart →29 letters, each with a word you know and its sound. Print it.
Free toolLook-alike letters compared →ă / â, d / đ, tr / ch, hỏi / ngã: real word pairs, the same or not in your accent.
Free toolType Vietnamese with Telex →A keyboard that explains every key, and a 5-minute course.

Any word, in your accent

In the app, every word of the dictionary opens in the Microscope, and your own words become the anchors you read with.

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