# Learn Vietnamese with NativePal > Learn Vietnamese with NativePal: levelled reading, vocabulary with spaced repetition, and pronunciation coaching. Free app for iOS and Android. ## Quick facts - Native name: Tiếng Việt - Speakers: 85+ million speakers worldwide - Spoken in: Vietnam, with large communities in the United States, France, and Australia - Writing system: Latin alphabet, 29 letters, with tone marks - FSI difficulty category: III - Estimated study to professional working proficiency: 1100 hours (about 44 weeks full-time, per the US Foreign Service Institute) - Proficiency framework: CEFR (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) ## What English speakers find hardest about Vietnamese - **Six tones in the northern standard**: Northern Vietnamese uses six tones, including one with a glottal break in the middle. Southern dialects merge two of them, so what you hear depends on where you are. - **No conjugation, plurals, or cases**: Words never change shape. Tense and number are added with separate markers, so the grammar is far simpler than the pronunciation. - **Pronouns based on kinship and age**: There is no neutral "I" or "you". You address people as older brother, younger sibling or aunt depending on relative age, so you must judge age before you can speak. - **Classifiers**: Nouns need a classifier when counted or specified, chosen according to the category of the thing being referred to. - **Single-syllable building blocks**: Most morphemes are one syllable and longer words are compounds, so vocabulary grows by combining known pieces rather than by learning long new words. ## How you practise Vietnamese in NativePal - [Reading Lessons](https://nativepal.app/features/reading-lessons/): Vietnamese stories generated for your level, every word tappable for a translation, comprehension quiz at the end. - [Vocabulary & Dictionary](https://nativepal.app/features/vocabulary-and-dictionary/): themed Vietnamese vocabulary lessons plus a personal dictionary feeding spaced-repetition flashcards. - [Speaking Practice](https://nativepal.app/features/speaking-practice/): read Vietnamese aloud on a teleprompter and get scored on individual sounds, prosody, fluency, and connected speech. - [Daily Challenges](https://nativepal.app/features/daily-challenges/): 60 seconds of freeform Vietnamese every day, analysed for grammar, vocabulary, and phrasing. - [Learning Scenarios](https://nativepal.app/features/learning-scenarios/): structured Vietnamese lessons from the alphabet for absolute beginners. ## FAQ ### How long does it take to learn Vietnamese? The US Foreign Service Institute puts Vietnamese at roughly 1100 hours of instruction — about 44 weeks full-time — to reach professional working proficiency. Holding a simple conversation comes much sooner: most learners manage it inside the first few months. NativePal shortens the part you control: reading at your level every day, vocabulary that returns before you forget it, and speaking practice that scores your pronunciation instead of just ticking a box. ### What is hardest about Vietnamese grammar? Six tones in the northern standard: Northern Vietnamese uses six tones, including one with a glottal break in the middle. Southern dialects merge two of them, so what you hear depends on where you are. No conjugation, plurals, or cases: Words never change shape. Tense and number are added with separate markers, so the grammar is far simpler than the pronunciation. Pronouns based on kinship and age: There is no neutral "I" or "you". You address people as older brother, younger sibling or aunt depending on relative age, so you must judge age before you can speak. Classifiers: Nouns need a classifier when counted or specified, chosen according to the category of the thing being referred to. Single-syllable building blocks: Most morphemes are one syllable and longer words are compounds, so vocabulary grows by combining known pieces rather than by learning long new words. ### Is Vietnamese hard for English speakers? Hard — familiar script, very unfamiliar sounds. Vietnamese uses the Latin alphabet, so you can read it immediately, but the stacked diacritics mark both vowel quality and tone and must be read carefully. ### What proficiency levels does NativePal use for Vietnamese? NativePal levels your Vietnamese practice with CEFR, so reading lessons, vocabulary, and speaking prompts are generated for the level you select rather than a generic average. The ladder runs A1 through to C2. ### Where is Vietnamese spoken? Vietnamese is spoken in Vietnam, with large communities in the United States, France, and Australia, with 85+ million speakers worldwide. ### Can I learn Vietnamese as a complete beginner? Yes. NativePal's Learning Scenarios start from the alphabet, numbers, greetings, and how to introduce yourself, with no prior Vietnamese assumed. Once those land, reading lessons and vocabulary packs pick up from wherever you are. ### Does NativePal correct my Vietnamese pronunciation? Yes. You read Vietnamese aloud on a teleprompter and get scored on individual vowels and consonants, stress, rhythm and intonation, fluency, and connected speech — not just a pass or fail. The 60-second daily speaking challenge adds freeform practice on top. ### Can I practise speaking Vietnamese, not just reading it? Yes, and it is the most-used part of the app. Speaking Practice is a teleprompter you read aloud for scored pronunciation feedback, the daily challenge gives you 60 seconds of freeform talk, and you can reply with your voice in any chat or roleplay scenario. ### Is NativePal free for learning Vietnamese? NativePal is free to start, with a daily allowance across reading, vocabulary, speaking practice, and chats. A premium subscription removes the daily limits and unlocks the longer formats. Prices are set in the App Store and Google Play and vary by region. ### Do I need an account to start learning Vietnamese? No. NativePal uses anonymous sign-in, so you can start practising Vietnamese without an email address or social login. ## More - [All supported languages](https://nativepal.app/languages.html) - [All features](https://nativepal.app/features/) - [Compare NativePal with other apps](https://nativepal.app/compare/) - [llms.txt](https://nativepal.app/llms.txt)