How to read & write in Hmong

(For English speakers)

The 1st concept you should understand if you don’t already know is that the Hmong language is a tonal language. The tone used in the pronunciation of a word is very important and using the wrong tone usually means you are saying a completely different word.

Let's take for example the simple english word "and".
In the English language it does not matter the tone of which you say the word and.
It is still the same word with the same meaning.
Example 1 : and
Example 2 : and
But in the Hmong language these are to different words

Composition of a Hmong Words
Similair to the English language the Hmong language contains consonants and vowels.
Unlike the English language the Hmong language have tone indicators
In summary the Hmong language have 3 categories. consonants, vowels and tone indicators

Hmong words usually start with a consonant followed by a vowel and finally a tone indicator. However there are exceptions

Hmong words can be made up of ...
1. a consonants with a vowel
2. a consonant with a vowel and a tone indicator
3. a vowel with a tone indicator
3. just a single vowel

Learning Method
Memorization is normally the best method for learning the hmong alphabet, but you can also learn by association. (There will be helpful tips along the way)

Suggested Learning Steps
I would recommend you start by learning the single vowels and single consonants first.
This will allow you to easily create some Hmong words by simply putting them together.

Next you should learn the double vowels and the rest of the consonants.
You should also start to combine these together to make more words and add them to your vocabulary.

Then learn the tone indicators
Combining the consonant with a vowel and tone indicator will create even more words.

Practice makes perfect. Continue looking at actual words, reading text and simple phrases.

Note: as you scroll through the rest of the pages, click on the highlighted letters to hear the sound.

Disclaimer : Please note that these pages are written from the authur's point of view. The way the authur has categorized the topics and material is based on his experience. Therefore it may not neccessariy match the materials found from others within the same subject matter.