B. The Phonemes of Vietnamese Language. I. Vowels There are 12 vowel symbols in the Vietnamese alphabet but only 11 vowel phonemes. Vietnamese spelling Phoneme Rough English Equivalent ■ Remarks Examples (Sounds Initial, middle & final positions) Meaning a /a/ father The open /a/ anli elder brother ! cam orange ba three a iDl hat The fronted half-open 1*1 an to eat shorter and tenser than /of nam five a /A/ but The retracted half-close /A/ am sound somewhat similar to /A/ ham to heat in but e re i bet The ha If-open lei em younger somewhat similar to l&l brother/ in bet sister den black xe vehicle e iti may The half-close /e/ em soft somewhat similar to ft 1 in dem night may but without the y sound 10 pear i or y in me The close / i /, similar to / i / im quiet in me but with tongue kim needle * slightly retracted di to go 0 Idl law The half-open ong bee similar to 10 1 bom bomb in law lo to worry d /o/ no The half-close /of dug Mr. similar to Vol torn shrimp in no, so; but without the CO aunt v-like sound at the end or Idl fur The half-close hi