khều

Likely non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 挑 (“to pick out”, SV: thiểu), which is also read irregularly as khiêu. Both khiêu and khều might have resulted from the influence of 撬 (khiêu, “to pry open”).

The tonal register mismatch is sporadically seen yet still unexplained (compare nativized được vs. SV đắc from 得, nativized thấy vs. SV thị from 視, nativized thầy vs. SV sư from 師, etc.).

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [xew˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kʰew˦˩] ~ [xew˦˩]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kʰew˨˩] ~ [xew˨˩]

khều • (挑)

1. to use hand or other tools to pull something toward oneself