1.1- Instructions: Rules of Reading in Hmong

Instructional Video

Instructions- Overview Principles

Unit 1.1 – Overview Principles of Reading in Hmong

Unit Purpose

Before learning individual vowels, consonants, and vowel pitch modifiers, students must first understand how Hmong words are constructed.

This unit introduces the three building blocks of a Hmong word and the ten rules that govern how Hmong is written and read.

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Identify the three building blocks of a Hmong word
• Explain the function of each building block
• Recognize the four possible Hmong word structures
• Identify the vowel in a Hmong word
• Explain why the vowel is the most important building block
• Understand the “Find the Vowel First” reading strategy
• Explain the “One Sound, One Spelling” principle
• Describe the process used to read any Hmong word

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Introduction

Many people believe that learning to read Hmong is difficult because there are many letters and combinations of letters. Fortunately, Hmong follows a very consistent system. Unlike English, Hmong spelling follows predictable rules. Once you understand those rules and learn the sounds of the building blocks, reading becomes much easier.

Think of reading Hmong like building with blocks. Before you can build a house, you must understand the pieces that make up the house. Likewise, before you can read Hmong, you must understand the pieces that make up a Hmong word. Let’s begin.

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Rule #1: Every Hmong Word Is Built from Three Possible Building Blocks

Every Hmong word is built from three possible components.

These components are called the building blocks of a Hmong word.

Hmong Term	English Term	Function
Ntawv Suab	Vowel (V)	Produces the main sound of a word
Ntawv Pib	Consonant (C)	Adds a beginning sound
Ntawv Cim Suab	Vowel Pitch Modifier (P)	Changes the pitch of the vowel

These three building blocks are the foundation of the Hmong writing system. Most Hmong words contain only one syllable.

Within a syllable:

• One vowel is used.
• One consonant may be used.
• One vowel pitch modifier may be used.

The vowel is required. The consonant and vowel pitch modifier are optional. The building blocks work together to create a complete Hmong word.

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Visual Diagram

          Hmong Word

              pob

       ┌──────┼──────┐
       │      │      │
       p      o      b
       │      │      │
 Consonant  Vowel  Pitch Modifier
 

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Rule #2: The Vowel Is the Main Sound of Every Hmong Word

The vowel is the most important building block of a Hmong word.

The term:

Ntawv Suab

literally means:

“Letter that produces sound.”

The vowel produces the main sound of a word. The other building blocks do not replace the vowel. Instead, they modify it.

The vowel can be modified in three ways.

Change	Example	Result
Add a beginning sound	o → po	Changes how the word starts
Change the pitch	o → ob	Changes how the vowel is pronounced
Do both	o → pob	Changes both the beginning sound and the pitch

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Worked Example

Starting vowel:

o

Meaning:

swollen

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Add a consonant:

p + o = po

Meaning:

spleen

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Add a pitch modifier:

o + b = ob

Meaning:

two

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Add both:

p + o + b = pob

Meaning:

ball

Notice something important:

The vowel o remains the main sound in every example.

Everything else revolves around the vowel.

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Rule #3: Every Hmong Word Contains a Vowel

Since the vowel is the main sound, every Hmong word must contain a vowel.

Without a vowel, there is no Hmong word.

Vowels may be:

• 1 letter long
• 2 letters long

Example

o

Meaning:

swollen

Even though it consists of only one letter, it is a complete Hmong word.

This is why the vowel is the easiest place to start when reading.

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Rule #4: Consonants Come Before the Vowel

A consonant is called:

Ntawv Pib

which means:

“Beginning Letter.”

A consonant adds a beginning sound to the front of a vowel.

Consonants always appear before the vowel.

Consonants can be:

• 1 letter long
• 2 letters long
• 3 letters long
• 4 letters long

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Example

Starting vowel:

o

Meaning:

swollen

Add consonant:

p

Result:

po

Meaning:

spleen

The consonant changes how the word begins.

The vowel remains the main sound.

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Rule #5: Vowel Pitch Modifiers Come After the Vowel

A vowel pitch modifier is called:

Ntawv Cim Suab

which means:

“Letter that determines the pitch of the sound.”

The vowel pitch modifier changes the pitch of the vowel.

It always appears after the vowel.

A vowel pitch modifier is always:

• One letter long

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Example

Starting vowel:

o

Meaning:

swollen

Add pitch modifier:

b

Result:

ob

Meaning:

two

The vowel remains the main sound.

Only the pitch changes.

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Rule #6: Hmong Words Follow a Fixed Order

The building blocks of a Hmong word always appear in the same order.

Position	Building Block
First	Consonant (optional)
Second	Vowel (required)
Third	Vowel Pitch Modifier (optional)

Formula:

Consonant + Vowel + Vowel Pitch Modifier

or

C + V + P

This order never changes.

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Example

Position	Letter
Consonant	p
Vowel	o
Pitch Modifier	b

Result:

pob

Meaning:

ball

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Rule #7: There Are Only Four Possible Word Structures

Since the vowel is required and the other two building blocks are optional, there are only four possible structures for a single-syllable Hmong word.

Structure	Formula	Example	Meaning
Vowel	V	o	swollen
Consonant + Vowel	CV	po	spleen
Vowel + Pitch Modifier	VP	ob	two
Consonant + Vowel + Pitch Modifier	CVP	pob	ball

These are the only four possible structures.

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Practice

Identify the structure.

Word	Structure
o	V
po	CV
ob	VP
pob	CVP

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Rule #8: Find the Vowel First When Reading

This is the most important reading strategy in the entire course.

Whenever you encounter a Hmong word:

Find the vowel first.

Because every Hmong word contains a vowel, finding the vowel helps you identify the rest of the building blocks.

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Reading Strategy

Step 1

Find the vowel.

Step 2

Look left.

Any letters to the left belong to the consonant.

Step 3

Look right.

Any letters to the right belong to the vowel pitch modifier.

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Example 1

Word:

pob

Part	Letters
Consonant	p
Vowel	o
Vowel Pitch Modifier	b

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Example 2

Word:

hlub

Part	Letters
Consonant	hl
Vowel	u
Pitch Modifier	b

Notice that the same strategy still works.

Even though hl contains two letters, it still functions as one consonant.

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Golden Rule

Find the vowel first.

Everything else is built around it.

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Rule #9: One Sound Has Only One Correct Spelling

English often has multiple spellings for the same sound.

Examples:

Sound	Spellings
there	there, their, they’re
see	see, sea
I see	I see, icy

Because of this, English requires memorizing many spelling patterns.

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Hmong Is Different

In Hmong:

One sound has one spelling.

One spelling has one sound.

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Example

Word	Meaning
pob	ball
pob	pimple

These words have different meanings.

However, because they sound the same, they are spelled the same.

This makes Hmong much more predictable than English.

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Rule #10: Reading Means Combining the Sounds of the Building Blocks

Reading a Hmong word means combining the sounds of its building blocks.

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Reading Process

Example Word

pob

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Step 1: Identify the Vowel

Find the vowel in the word.

Word:

pob

Vowel:

o

Say the sound of the vowel.

o

The vowel is the main sound of the word and serves as the foundation for pronunciation.

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Step 2: Identify Any Consonant to the Left of the Vowel

Look to the left of the vowel.

Word:

pob

Consonant:

p

If a consonant is present:

1. Say the sound of the consonant.
2. Pause.
3. Say the sound of the vowel.
4. Pause.
5. Combine the consonant and vowel sounds together.

Example:

Say the sound for:

p

(pause)

Say the sound for:

o

(pause)

Then say the combined sound for:

po

At this point, you have formed the consonant-vowel combination.

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Step 3: Identify Any Vowel Pitch Modifier to the Right of the Vowel

Look to the right of the vowel.

Word:

pob

Vowel Pitch Modifier:

b

If a vowel pitch modifier is present:

1. Say the sound formed in Step 2.
2. Identify the pitch associated with the vowel pitch modifier.
3. Change the pitch of the sound from Step 2 to match the pitch indicated by the vowel pitch modifier.

Example:

Say:

po

(pause)

Say:

“to the pitch of b”

(pause)

Then say the sound for po at the pitch of b, which is:

pob

You have now produced the final pronunciation of the word.

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Important Note

A vowel pitch modifier does not create a new sound by itself.

Instead, it changes the pitch of the vowel or consonant-vowel combination that has already been formed.

For example:

• o produces the main sound.
• po adds a beginning sound to the vowel.
• b does not create another sound.
• Instead, b changes the pitch of po to produce pob.

The vowel pitch modifier changes the pitch, not the spelling order or the main sound.

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Remember

The vowel is always the main sound.

The consonant changes how the word begins.

The vowel pitch modifier changes the pitch of the sound that has already been formed.

Together, these three building blocks produce the final pronunciation of a Hmong word.

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Unit 1 Review

The Ten Rules

Rule	Principle
1	Every Hmong word is built from three possible building blocks.
2	The vowel is the main sound of every Hmong word.
3	Every Hmong word contains a vowel.
4	Consonants come before the vowel.
5	Vowel pitch modifiers come after the vowel.
6	Hmong words follow a fixed order.
7	There are only four possible word structures.
8	Find the vowel first when reading.
9	One sound has only one correct spelling.
10	Reading means combining the sounds of the building blocks.

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Checkpoint Questions

1. What are the three building blocks of a Hmong word?
2. Which building block is always present?
3. Which building block produces the main sound?
4. Where does the consonant appear?
5. Where does the vowel pitch modifier appear?
6. What is the fixed order of the building blocks?
7. How many possible word structures are there?
8. What is the first thing you should do when reading a Hmong word?
9. Why is Hmong spelling more predictable than English spelling?
10. What does it mean to read a Hmong word?

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Looking Ahead

In Unit 2, you will begin learning vowels (ntawv suab), the most important building block of a Hmong word.

You will learn:

• 1-letter vowels
• 2-letter vowels
• Pronunciation guides
• Memory tips and tricks
• Common mistakes
• Practice exercises

The details are coming next.

For now, remember the ten rules and always:

Find the vowel first.

Worksheets and Quizzes

1.1 Instructions- Rules of Reading in Hmong: Worksheet #1
1.1 Instructions- Rules of Reading in Hmong: Worksheet #2
1.1 Instructions- Rules of Reading in Hmong: Worksheet #3
1.1 Instructions- Rules of Reading in Hmong: Worksheet #4
1.1 Instructions- Rules of Reading in Hmong: Worksheet #5

Digital Flashcards

Quizlet Digital Flashcards for 1.1 Instructions- Rules of Reading in Hmong