Etymology

ngón tay ‎(“finger”) +‎ cái ‎(“female”). Compare Chinese 拇指 (mǔzhǐ) < 拇 (mǔ, “thumb”) < 母 (mǔ, “mother”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ŋɔn˧ˀ˦ tɐj˧˧ kaːj˧ˀ˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ŋɔŋ˦˥ tɐj˧˧ kaːj˩ˀ˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ŋɔŋ˦ˀ˥ tɐj˧˥ kaːj˦ˀ˥]