Have you ever wondered whether it's Pendulum or Oscillation that's the correct spelling in Vietnamese? This article by TechTipsVietnam will clear up any confusion for you.

1. The meaning of the term Oscillation?

To understand the meaning of the term Oscillation, let's dissect each word one by one in the term Oscillation:
- In Chinese, the word 'dao' means to shake, sway, not staying in a fixed position.
The word 'động' means movement, mobility, not staying in any fixed position.
- Combining these two words 'Dao' and 'Động' together, we get a complete phrase which means 'oscillation'. In the current Vietnamese dictionary, this term is defined as follows:
Some synonymous phrases for the term 'oscillation' include: rocking, swaying, vacillation, tilting.
The opposite term of the phrase oscillation is the phrase: steadfastness.
2. The meaning of the term Oscillation?

We can easily see that the phrase Oscillation does not appear in the current Vietnamese dictionary of Vietnam.
If understood by each individual word, the word 'giao' is known as a verb to meet, intersect at a certain point or position, on two different directions; 'giao' also means to give in order to receive and take responsibility (assign tasks, hand over house keys, deliver goods to customers).
While the word 'động' simply means movement, mobility.
Therefore, when these two words are combined, they form the phrase 'giao động', which has no meaning at all.
3. Oscillation or vibration, which is the correct spelling?

After analysis, we can easily conclude that 'dao động' is the correct spelling in Vietnamese. Meanwhile, 'giao động' is the misspelled version in Vietnamese.
The term 'Dao Động' can also be understood in two different senses: literal and metaphorical.
- Literally: 'Dao Động' is understood as the back and forth movement at an equilibrium position. In Physics, we have the oscillation of pendulums or springs. In everyday life, we have the swing of a swing, the oscillation of clock pendulums.
- Metaphorically: 'Dao Động' is often used to refer to someone lacking conviction, lacking confidence, easily swayed and influenced by opinions or external factors. Example: She is someone very easily swayed by the opinions of those around her.
4. What leads to confusion between the usage of Dao Động and Giao Động?
The main reason for the confusion making it difficult to distinguish between the two phrases Dao Động and Giao Động during usage is because the pronunciation of these two phrases is evaluated to be almost identical. Apart from mispronunciation, it may also be due to some people not directly interacting with correct spelling for a long time, leading to errors in consonant pronunciation as in this case.
In this article, we've compiled insights on Oscillation versus Vibration: Which Term Has the Correct Spelling in Vietnamese? Wishing you a delightful day ahead!