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Common English mistakes Vietnamese speakers make, and how to fix them

If your first language is Vietnamese, your English mistakes follow Vietnamese grammar and sounds — a language with no verb endings, no articles, no consonant clusters, and tones instead of stress. Knowing the pattern makes each one easy to catch.

The big ones. 1) Dropped final consonants: "ca" for "cat", "fi" for "five" — English needs the final sound. 2) Dropped final -s and -ed: "two book", "he work", "I walk yesterday" → books, works, walked. 3) No tense change: "yesterday I go" → "went"; "I already eat" (rồi) → "I've eaten". 4) Missing articles: "I have meeting" → "a meeting". 5) "I very like it" (rất thích) → "I really like it". 6) Questions by intonation only: "You go home?" → "Are you going home?". 7) Answering negative questions the Vietnamese way: "You don't like it?" — "Yes" (meaning: correct, I don't) → in English say "No, I don't". 8) Consonant clusters simplified: "firs" for "first", "tes" for "test" — practise the cluster slowly. 9) "th" as /t/ or /s/: "tink", "sink" for "think" — tongue between the teeth. 10) Flat, tone-like delivery: English uses stress, so "comPUter", "imPORtant" — stressed syllable louder and longer.

A list won't fix these; making them out loud and being corrected in the moment will. Airi is built for that: she hears the pattern, fixes the one mistake that matters in her reply, and keeps the conversation going. Speak with her daily and these stop being habits within a few weeks. Free to start, no card.

A quick example with Airi

Yesterday I go to the marke and buy two fish.

Classic Vietnamese-to-English! Try: "Yesterday I went to the market and bought two fish" — and hit the 't' in 'market'.

Yesterday I went to the market and bought two fish.

That's it — tense, and the final sounds are all there. What did you make with the fish?

How to get the most from it

Finish every word

Say the last consonant: cat, five, market. It's the single biggest clarity fix.

Change the verb for the past

'Yesterday' is not enough in English — the verb must change.

Stress one syllable

Pick the strong syllable and make it longer and louder.

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Frequently asked questions

Why do Vietnamese speakers drop final sounds?

Vietnamese syllables end in few consonants and never in clusters, so English endings feel unnatural. It's transfer, and it's fixable with daily out-loud practice.

Which mistake matters most?

Final consonants and -s/-ed endings — they affect both clarity and grammar. Airi corrects the most important one in each reply.

Is Airi available in Vietnam?

Yes — it works worldwide on phone or laptop. Free to start with 300 credits, no card.

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