Vietnamese Dialects
By James Campbell
Updated October 21, 2004

I originally included Vietnamese in this study/website because of the fact its phonological makeup is very similar to Chinese and, indeed, its tonal system matches the Chinese one. Originally I wrote at this site: "Vietnamese is neither a Chinese language nor related to Chinese (It is an Austroasiatic > Mon-Khmer language more closely related to Khmer/Cambodian). Besides having a very similar phonological system, and due to the heavy Chinese influence on the language, it also has a tone system that matches the Chinese one." However, after reading and conducting a bit more research, it appears that Vietnamese' affiliation with Việt-Mương, Mon-Khmer, and Austroasiatic, may in fact be a faulty case.

The inclusion of Vietnamese in this study is quite appropriate for a number of reasons. It may not be considered a Sinitic language or one of the Chinese dialects, but the Kinh have a lot in common with the Chinese culture, and the language leaves little to doubt. I will not go into great detail about how this is claimed, as a great deal has been posted at some other websites (see below) and that is not the purpose of this site. However, one can see that Vietnamese shares many traits in common with Chinese: 60-70% Sinitic vocabulary, another 20% of vocabulary is substrata of proto-Sinitic vocabulary, much of the grammar and grammatical markers share similarities with Chinese, along with classifiers. One would find it very difficult to draw similar parallels between Chinese and other Mon-Khmer languages. It seems that after considering all of this, what is left that is Mon-Khmer is actually very little, and probably acquired over time through contact with bordering nations. For example, the numbers are of distinct Mon-Khmer origin, however, used in many compound words, Vietnamese uses instead Chinese roots (as is common in the other Sino-Xenic languages, Japanese and Korean).

Other websites detailing Vietnamese etymologies and the close relation between Vietnamese and Chinese. It is recommended you are familiar with Vietnamese vocabulary, phonology, Chinese characters, Chinese phonology, in order to fully appreciate the value of these articles. I can only assume refusal to recognize the truth in these articles is simply ignorance towards the fields of comparative linguistics/phonology/lexicology/etc:
Introduction to Sinitic-Vietnamese Studies
Vietnamese2020 Writing Reform Proposal (I support this proposal for disyllabic writing)
Vietnamese2020 Writing Reform Proposal Appendix (for lists of words)

Below is an index to the information on Vietnamese dialects found at this site. Names are listed first in Traditional, then Simplified characters with Vietnamese standard Quốc Ngữ (國語) spelling. You will notice sometimes the Vietnamese doesn't correspond exactly with the Chinese, as Vietnamese word order (Noun+Adj) is different from Chinese, for example: here I use the Chinese 傣苗自治區 which is Khu tự trị Thái Mèo, but transliterating the Vietnamese verbatim back into Chinese, this would be 區自治傣苗. Most people can readily recognize that the Chinese and Vietnamese word order varies slightly, and hopefully this is not a hindrance for you. Links to information on this site available on a dialect are provided next to each entry. More data is being added on a weekly basis.

• 河內 / 河内  Hà Nội   Tones   Numbers  

• 胡志明 / 胡志明  Hồ Chí Minh   Tones   Numbers  

• 安江省 / 安江省  An Giang
  朱篤 / 朱笃  Châu Đốc
  

• 安川省 / 安川省  An Xuyên
  金甌 / 金瓯  Cà Mâu
  

• 北省 / 北省  Bắc Cạn
  佐屯 / 佐屯  Chợ Đồn
  佐砑 / 佐砑  Chợ Rã
  

• 平陽省 / 平阳省  Bình Dương
  

• 平定省 / 平定省  Bình Định
  安老 / 安老  An Lão
  安仁 / 安仁  An Nhơn
  平溪 / 平溪  Bình Khê
  蓬山 / 蓬山  Bồng Sơn
  

• 北江省 / 北江省  Bắc Giang
  

• 邊和省 / 边和省  Biên Hòa
  

• 平龍省 / 平龙省  Bình Long
  安祿 / 安禄  An Lộc
  

• 北寧省 / 北宁省  Bắc Ninh
  嘉林 / 嘉林  Gia Lâm
  嘉亮 / 嘉亮  Gia Lượng
  

• 平綏省 / 平绥省  Bình Tuy
  

• 平順省 / 平顺省  Bình Thuận
  

• 巴川省 / 巴川省  Ba Xuyên
  薄遼 / 薄辽  Bạc Liêu
  龐龍 / 庞龙  Bàng Long
  嘉來 / 嘉來  Gia Rai
  

• 高平省 / 高平省  Cao Bằng
  白通 / 白通  Bạch Thông
  保樂 / 保乐  Bảo Lạc
  河廣 / 河广  Hà Quảng
  下廊 / 下廊  Hạ Lang
  

• 崑山省 / 昆山省  Côn Sơn
  

• 多樂省 / 多乐省  Đắc Lắc
  邦美七 / 邦美七  Ban Mê Thuật
  

• 定祥省 / 定祥省  Định Tường
  鵝貢 / 鹅贡  Gò Công
  

• 和平省 / 和平省  Hòa Bình
  沱北 / 沱北  Đà Bắc
  

• 海陽省 / 海阳省  Hải Dương
  平江 / 平江  Bình Giang
  錦暘 / 锦旸  Cẩm Giàng
  東潮 / 东潮  Đông Triều
  嘉祿 / 嘉禄  Gia Lộc
  

• 河東省 / 河东省  Hà Đông
  章美 / 章美  Chương Mỹ
  丹鳳 / 丹凤  Đan Phượng
  

• 河江省 / 河江省  Hà Giang
  北光 / 北光  Bắc Quang
  同文 / 同文  Đồng Văn
  

• 河南省 / 河南省  Hà Nam
  平陸 / 平陆  Bình Lục
  維先 / 维先  Duy Tiên
  

• 巴岬 / 巴岬  Ba Chẻ
  平遼 / 平辽  Bình Liêu
  潭河 / 潭河  Đầm Hà
  停立 / 停立  Đình Lập
  下居 / 下居  Hà Cối
  

• 海防̣(直轄市) / 海防(直辖市)  Hải Phòng
  吉婆 / 吉婆  Cát Bà
  吉海 / 吉海  Cát Hải
  海安 / 海安  Hải An
  

• 鴻廣直轄區 / 鸿广直辖区  Khu Hồng Quảng
  錦普 / 锦普  Cẩm Phả
  

• 河靜省 / 河静省  Hà Tĩnh
  干祿 / 干禄  Can Lộc
  錦川 / 锦川  Cẩm Xuyên
  德壽 / 德寿  Đức Thọ
  

• 興安省 / 兴安省  Hưng Yên
  安施 / 安施  An Thi
  

• 建安省 / 建安省  Kiến An
  安陽 / 安阳  An Dương
  

• 建江省 / 建江省Kiến Giang
  揚東 / 扬东  Dương Đông
  河仙 / 河仙  Hà Tiên
  

• 慶和省 / 庆和省  Khánh Hòa
  巴哀 / 巴哀  Ba Ngòi
  演慶 / 演庆  Diễn Khánh
  

• 建和省 / 建和省  Kiến Hòa
  巴治 / 巴治  Ba Trị
  檳椥 / 槟椥  Bến Tre
  

• 崑嵩省 / 昆嵩省  Kon Tum
  

• 建風省 / 建风省  Kiến Phong
  高岭 / 高岭  Cao Lãnh
  

• 建祥省 / 建祥省  Kiến Tường
  

• 隆安省 / 隆安省  Long An
  

• 老街省 / 老街省  Lao Cai
  斑樓 / 斑楼  Ban Lầu
  保勝 / 保胜  Bảo Thắng
  巴剎 / 巴剎  Bát Xát
  北河 / 北河  Bắc Hà
  

• 林同省 / 林同省  Lâm Đồng
  勃勞 / 勃劳  Blao
  貽靈 / 贻灵  Di Linh
  

• 隆慶省 / 隆庆省  Long Khánh
  

• 諒山省 / 谅山省  Lạng Sơn
  龐漠 / 庞漠  Bàng Mạc
  北山 / 北山  Bắc Sơn
  平嘉 / 平嘉  Bình Gia
  高祿 / 高禄  Cao Lộc
  恬霞 / 恬霞  Điềm He
  

• 宜安(義安)省 / 宜安(义安)省  Nghệ An
  英山 / 英山  Anh Sơn
  冠桄 / 冠桄  Con Cuông
  演州 / 演州  Diễn Châu
  

• 寧平省 / 宁平省  Ninh Bình
  嘉慶 / 嘉庆  Gia Khánh
  嘉遠 / 嘉远  Gia Viễn
  

• 南定省 / 南定省  Nam Định
  交水 / 交水  Giao Thủy
  海後 / 海后  Hải Hậu
  

• 寧順省 / 宁顺省  Ninh Thuận
  戛那 / 戛那  Ca Ná
  

• 風瑩省 / 风莹省  Phong Dinh
  芹苴 / 芹苴  Cần Thơ
  

• 福隆省 / 福隆省  Phước Long
  布德 / 布德  Bố Đức
  

• 波來古省 / 波来古省  Pleiku
  安溪 / 安溪  An Khê
  

• 富壽省 / 福寿省  Phú Thọ
  錦溪 / 锦溪  Cẩm Khê
  更諾 / 更诺  Cân Giờ
  端雄 / 端雄  Đoan Hùng
  夏和 / 夏和  Hạ Họa
  鶴池 / 鹤池  Hạc Tri
  

• 富綏省 / 富绥省  Phước Tuy
  巴地 / 巴地  Ba Rịa
  

• 富安省 / 富安省  Phú Yên
  同春 / 同春  Đồng Xuân
  

• 廣平省 / 广平省  Quảng Bình
  布澤 / 布泽  Bố Trạch
  洞海 / 洞海  Đồng Hới
  

• 廣南省 / 广南省  Quảng Nam
  濱江 / 滨江  Bến Giang
  濱賢 / 滨贤  Bến Hiền
  維川 / 维川  Duy Xuyên
  土倫(沱灢) / 土伦(沱灢)   Đà Nẵng
  大祿 / 大禄  Đại Lộc
  尊磐 / 尊盘  Điện Bàn
  

• 廣義省 / 广义省  Quảng Ngãi
  巴德 / 巴德  Ba Tơ
  平山 / 平山  Bình Sơn
  翼普 / 翼普  Dực Phổ
  

• 廣治省 / 广治省  Quảng Trị
  甘露 / 甘露  Cam Lọ
  猶靈 / 犹灵  Gio Linh
  海琅 / 海琅  Hải Lang
  

• 廣安市 / 广安市  Quảng Yên
  

• 西貢市 / 西贡市  Sài Gòn  Tones
  堤岸 / 堤岸  Chợ Lớn
  嘉定 / 嘉定  Gia Định
  

• 山西省 / 山西省  Sơn Tây
  不跋 / 不跋  Bất Bạt
  

• 太平省 / 太平省  Thái Bình
  緣河 / 缘河  Duyên Hà
  同關 / 同关  Đồng Quan
  

• 宣德省 / 宣德省  Tuyên Đức
  大叻市 / 大叻市  Đà Lạt
  

• 清化省 / 清化省  Thanh Hóa
  霸屬 / 霸属  Bá Thuộc
  錦水 / 锦水  Cẩm Thủy
  東山 / 东山  Đông Sơn
  河忠 / 河忠  Hà Trung
  

• 傣苗自治區 / 傣苗自治区  Khu tự trị Thái Mèo
  尊邊州 / 尊边州  Điện Biên
  

• 太原省 / 太原省  Thái Nguyên
  大慈 / 大慈  Đại Từ
  定化 / 定化  Định Hóa
  同喜 / 同喜  Đồng Hỷ
  

• 西寧省 / 西宁省  Tây Ninh
  

• 宣光省 / 宣光省  Tuyên Quang
  占化 / 占化  Chiêm Hóa
  

• 承天省 / 承天省  Thừa Thiên
  

• 越北自治區 / 越北自治区  Khu tự trị Việt Bắc
  

• 永平省 / 永平省  Vĩnh Bình
  

• 永隆省 / 永隆省  Vĩnh Long
  永靈直轄區 / 永灵直辖区  Khu tự trị Vĩnh Linh
  巴崗 / 巴岗  Ba Cang
  

• 永福省 / 永福省  Vĩnh Phúc
  平川 / 平川  Bình Xuyên
  多福 / 多福  Đa Phúc
  東英 / 东英  Đông Anh
  

• 安沛省 / 安沛省  Yên Bái