How to Type Vietnamese

This guide will teach you how to type Vietnamese characters on any keyboard using the Telex input method — the most widely used way to type Vietnamese on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Linux.

Once you've learned the basics, practice Vietnamese typing with our free game, Vietnamese Typing Quest.

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What is the Telex Input Method?

The Telex input method is a way to type Vietnamese characters using a standard computer keyboard. It works by typing additional letters to add diacritics to the base letters. For example, typing aa will produce â. It is the standard Vietnamese input method on Windows (via Unikey), Mac (via GoTiengViet or the built-in Vietnamese keyboard), and iOS/Android.

Vietnamese Telex Keyboard Layout

Below is a table of key mappings for the Telex input method, including the Vietnamese names of the accents:

Type a, e, o twice to add a hat: â, ê, ô.
Type d twice to add a stroke: đ.
Type w to add a breve: ă, ơ, ư.
Type s to add an rising tone accent: á, é, í, ó, ú, ý.
Type f to add a falling tone accent: à, è, ì, ò, ù, ỳ.
Type r to add a question tone accent: ả, ẻ, ỉ, ỏ, ủ, ỷ.
Type x to add a wavy tone accent: ã, ẽ, ĩ, õ, ũ, ỹ.
Type j to add a heavy tone (dot) accent below: ạ, ẹ, ị, ọ, ụ, ỵ.

Note: The Telex method is case-insensitive, so you can use uppercase or lowercase letters to add diacritics.

Vietnamese Keyboard Setup

Follow the steps below to set up the Vietnamese keyboard on your device.

iPhone / iOS: Vietnamese keyboard support is built into iOS — no extra software needed. Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard and select Vietnamese. Switch to it while typing by tapping the globe icon.
Android: Open Settings → General Management → Keyboard → On-screen keyboard and add Vietnamese as a language, or install Gboard and enable the Vietnamese language pack.
Windows Vietnamese keyboard setup ↗
Mac Vietnamese keyboard setup ↗
Linux Vietnamese keyboard setup ↗

Examples

Try typing the following words using the Telex input method:

Basic Diacritics

Type the following words:

caf phee → cà phê
hoa → hoa
tooi → tôi
gia vij → gia vị

Combining Diacritics

Type the following words with multiple diacritics:

dduwowfng → đường
hoas → hóa
nguyeexn → nguyễn

Full Sentences

Type the following sentences:

Tooi las nguwowis Vieejt Nam. → Tôi là người Việt Nam.
Hoom nay trowfi ddejp quas! → Hôm nay trời đẹp quá!
Bajn cos khoer khoong? → Bạn có khỏe không?

Conclusion

With practice, you'll become proficient in using the Telex input method to type Vietnamese characters. Keep practicing, and soon it will become second nature!