Vietnamese IME: Unikey

【要旨】ベトナム語入力ソフトウェアUnikey、ベトナム語入力方法TELEX

What is Unikey?

Unikey is the most popular Vietnamese IME (input method editor) to input Vietnamese characters.

Official site and download: http://www.unikey.org/

This site is the only official site. Other ones are imposters.

Latest version (as of February, 2018): UniKey 4.2 RC4

UniKey 4.2 RC4, 32 bit, ZIP file: Build 140823 (197 KB). Supports 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7, 8, 8.1.
UniKey 4.2 RC4, 64 bit, ZIP file: Build 140823 (229 KB). Supports 64-bit Windows 7, 8, 8.1.

How to install Unikey - most popular Vietnamese input method editor (IME)

Step 1: Download zip file of latest Unikey version from site mentioned above. Unzip it and you'll get two files: UniKeyNT.exe and keymap.txt.

Step 2: Double-click UniKeyNT.exe file to run Unikey.
This is a portable application and requires no installations.

Unikey app icon will show up in taskbar like this with a dark-red 'V' letter:

You can start type Vietnamese now. To turn off Vietnamese typing mode (English typing mode), click app icon ('V' icon), it will change to a blue 'E' icon:

Step 3: Exit Unikey app.
To quit Unikey, right click app icon ('V' or 'E') and choose 'Kết thúc' (Finish).

Right-click > 'Kết thúc' to terminate Unikey

Explaining Unikey app

keymap.txt defines how to type Vietnamese characters (in unicode, of course). Here's its default content:

; This is UniKey user-defined key mapping file, generated from UniKey (Windows)
Z = Tone0
S = Tone1
F = Tone2
R = Tone3
X = Tone4
J = Tone5
W = Hook-Bowl
A = Roof-A
E = Roof-E
O = Roof-O
D = D-Mark

Explanation:

S: Raising tone e.g. á, é, ế, í, ó, ố, ớ, ú, ứ, ý
F: Declining (dropping) tone e.g. à, è, ề, ì, ò, ồ, ờ, ù, ừ, ỳ
R: Question tone e.g. ả, ẻ, ể, ỉ, ỏ, ổ, ở, ủ, ử, ỷ
X: Wave tone e.g. ã, ẽ, ễ, ĩ, õ, ỗ, ỡ, ũ, ữ, ỹ
J: Dot (falling) tone e.g. ạ, ẹ, ệ, ị, ọ, ộ, ợ, ụ, ự, ỵ
Z: Delete existing tone when typing e.g. conf > còn > cònz > con
W: Hook/moon mark e.g. ur = ư, or = ơ, aw = ă
E: Umbrella mark for 'e' e.g. ee = ê
O: Umbrella mark for 'e' e.g. oo = ô
D: Umbrella mark for 'e' e.g. dd = đ

You can change these settings thru Unikey app panel or by directly editing this keymap.txt file.

Open control panel of Unikey and change to English interface

Right 'V' or 'E' app icon as above picture and click 'Bảng điều khiển...[CS+F5]' ơr Control + Shift + F5. (Ctrl + Shift + Fn + F5 for Windows laptop.)

Vietnamese interface will display:

Unikey's Vietnamese interface of control panel

Click 'Mở rộng' for more options:

Uncheck 'Vietnamese interface' to change to English interface:

Recommended setting for Unikey

Character set = Unicode
Input method = Telex
Switch key (change between Vietnamse typing mode and English typing mode): CTRL + SHIFT or ALT + Z

This is default setting (click 'Default' button to get to this setting):

How to type some Vietnamese characters with Unikey

Requirement: Unikey is running in 'V' icon mode (Vietnamese typing mode).

TELEX TYPING METHOD

UNICODE	TELEX	UNICODE	TELEX
à	af	À	AF
á	as	Á	AS
ả	ar	Ả	AR
ã	ax	Ã	AX
ạ	aj	Ạ	AJ
ă	aw	Ă	AW
ằ	awf	Ằ	AWF
ắ	aws	Ắ	AWS
ẳ	awr	Ẳ	AWR
ẵ	awx	Ẵ	AWX
ặ	awj	Ặ	AWJ
â	aa	Â	AA
ầ	aaf	Ầ	AAF
ấ	aas	Ấ	AAS
ẩ	aar	Ẩ	AAR
ẫ	aax	Ẫ	AAX
ậ	aaj	Ậ	AAJ
đ	dd	Đ	DD
è	ef	È	EF
é	es	É	ES
ẻ	er	Ẻ	ER
ẽ	ex	Ẽ	EX
ẹ	ej	Ẹ	EJ
ê	ee	Ê	EE
ề	eef	Ề	EEF
ế	ees	Ế	EES
ể	eer	Ể	EER
ễ	eex	Ễ	EEX
ệ	eej	Ệ	EEJ
ì	if	Ì	IF
í	is	Í	IS
ỉ	ir	Ỉ	IR
ĩ	ix	Ĩ	IX
ị	ij	Ị	IJ
ò	of	Ò	OF
ó	os	Ó	OS
ỏ	or	Ỏ	OR
õ	ox	Õ	OX
ọ	oj	Ọ	OJ
ô	oo	Ô	OO
ồ	oof	Ồ	OOF
ố	oos	Ố	OOS
ổ	oor	Ổ	OOR
ỗ	oox	Ỗ	OOX
ộ	ooj	Ộ	OOJ
ơ	ow	Ơ	OW
ờ	owf	Ờ	OWF
ớ	ows	Ớ	OWS
ở	owr	Ở	OWR
ỡ	owx	Ỡ	OWX
ợ	owj	Ợ	OWJ
ù	uf	Ù	UF
ú	us	Ú	US
ủ	ur	Ủ	UR
ũ	ux	Ũ	UX
ụ	uj	Ụ	UJ
ư	uw	Ư	UW
ừ	uwf	Ừ	UWF
ứ	uws	Ứ	UWS
ử	uwr	Ử	UWR
ữ	uwx	Ữ	UWX
ự	uwj	Ự	UWJ
ỳ	yf	Ỳ	YF
ý	ys	Ý	YS
ỷ	yr	Ỷ	YR
ỹ	yx	Ỹ	YX
ỵ	yj	Ỵ	YJ

Rules of typing Vietnamese letters with TELEX typing method using Unikey:

1. Tones can be added right after vowel(s) or at the end of a word. For example Vieejt = Vieetj = Việt
2. To type a tone character (F/S/R/X/J by default) after a vowel, it should be type twice. For example if > ì > ìf > if. (That means i + f + f = if)
3. If you type a wrong tone, you can type another tone to replace (it's not necessary to delete previous typed tone e.g. using Z key). For example af > à > às > á.

(C) SGA