Jantima Danford Page 1 Learn to Read Thai Introduction Thai is a tonal language which makes it very different to Westerrn languages. Each syllable has a choice between five distinct tones: low, mid, rising, high and falling. To a foreign student, it would seem that the Thai language is made up of groups of words that change in meaning depending on their tone. A famous tongue twister which illustrates this very well is "new wood doesn't burn, does it?" or "mai mai mai mai mai" in Thai. ไม้ ใหม่ ไม่ ไหม้ ไหม mai - mai - mai - mai - mai high - low - falling - falling - high To a foreigner studying Thai for the first time, there is only one word in the above example, "mai", and its meaning changes with different tones. However, to a Thai person, these are five distinct words that are not only spelled differently but are pronounced differently. Most foreign students make the mistake of relying too much on transliteration when learning Thai. If you are to master the tones, you must put this behind you and learn how to read properly. The five tones are: THE HIGH TONE - เสียงตรี This is a uniform tone pitched well above the level of the speaker’s normal voice and is similar to the tone used in English to denote alarm. e.g. “keep away” นก nok A bird
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Jantima Danford Page 1
Learn to Read Thai
Introduction
Thai is a tonal language which makes it very different to Westerrn languages. Each syllable has a choice between five distinct tones: low, mid, rising, high and falling. To a foreign student, it would seem that the Thai language is made up of groups of words that change in meaning depending on their tone. A famous tongue twister which illustrates this very well is "new wood doesn't burn, does it?" or "mai mai mai mai mai" in Thai.
ไม ใหม ไม ไหม ไหม
mai - mai - mai - mai - mai
high - low - falling - falling - high
To a foreigner studying Thai for the first time, there is only one word in the above example, "mai", and its meaning changes with different tones. However, to a Thai person, these are five distinct words that are not only spelled differently but are pronounced differently. Most foreign students make the mistake of relying too much on transliteration when learning Thai. If you are to master the tones, you must put this behind you and learn how to read properly.
The five tones are:
THE HIGH TONE - เสยงตร
This is a uniform tone pitched well above the level of the speaker’s normal voice and is similar to the tone used in English to denote alarm.
e.g. “keep away”
นก nok A bird
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รก ruk To love
เลก lek Small
THE RISING TONE - เสยงจตวา
This as the name implies has a rising inflection and is something like the tone used in English to denote surprise or a question.
e.g. “Are you going home now?”
ไหม mai A question word
สาม saam Three
หน hin A Stone
THE MID TONE - เสยงสามญ
This is spoken in the speaker’s ordinary tone of voice without any inflection. It is the tone used in English for ordinary conversation.
มา maa Come
ไป bpai Go
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กน gin To eat
THE LOW TONE - เสยงเอก
This is a level tone with no inflection but lower in pitch than common tone.
ดอก dork Flower
หบ heep A box
เกบ gep To keep
THE FALLING TONE - เสยงโท
This is an emphatic and heavily accented tone with a falling inflection and is similar to the tone used in English to denote emphasis.
e.g. “I told you not to go there”
ขาว kao Rice
หา haa Five
ไม mai Not
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It should be noted that the tone applies to a syllable only so that in a polysyllabic word each syllable may and often does have a different tone.
กหลาบ goo-laap low-low
มนษย ma-noot high-high
มะละกอ ma-la-gor high-high-mid
ภาพยนตร pa-pa-yon falling-high-mid
รฐบาล rut-ta-baan high-low-mid
You may find it difficult at first to pronounce all of the syllables of a polysyllabic word in the correct tone but luckily there are very few words of more than two syllables where tonal values of the syllables vary.
By far the best way to learn the tones at the beginning is the way a Thai child does, i.e. by copying a natural Thai speaker. You can do this by listening to us on this web site.
In Thai writing the tones are quite clearly indicated by the use of Tone Marks coupled with a rather complicated set of rules. If you are ready, we will now proceed to teach you these rules.
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Factors
Factors determining the tone.
To determine the tone of any syllable the following four factors have to be considered.
1. Class of the initial consonant.
The Thai consonants are divided up into three groups known respectively as HIGH, MIDDLE and LOW class consonants and the first thing to look at in determining the tone of a word or syllable is the class of the initial consonant.
You will soon discover that there are many cases where the letter ห as an initial
consonant is silent and there are a few cases where the letter อ as an initial consonant
is also silent, but this makes no difference to the rule, the tone is still governed by the class of the initial consonant even though it be a silent consonant.
The HIGH class consonants are; ข ฉ ฐ ถ ผ ฝ ศ ษ ส ห
The MIDDLE class consonants are; ก จ ฎ ฏ ด ต บ ป อ
All the remainders are LOW class consonants.
2. The final sounded consonant.
All words which do not end in a vowel sound must have either M, N, NG, K, P, or T as the final sound.
(Note: Although this is strictly true, you will find that in conversation the final consonant is often slurred and particularly after a long vowel, the final P may sound more like a B and the final T more like a D.)
Where there is no tone mark, the tone of the syllable or word will depend on both the class of the initial consonant and on whether it ends with the M, N, NG sounds or the K, P, T sounds. It should be noted that a final
consonant with the sign - (MY TUNTAKAHT) over it is not sounded and hence can
If the word has no tone mark and ends in a final vowel, the tone is dependent on whether this final vowel is a long or short one.
The short vowels for tonal purposes are -ะ, -, - , - , - , the
inherent “a”, the inherent “o” and all vowels shortened by the sign - over the consonant or by the addition of the vowel -ะ at the end.
All the others are long vowels.
4. The tone mark.
There are altogether four tone marks but only two namely (- ) MYAYK and (- ) MYTO
are in common use.
The other two (- ) MYDTREE and (- ) MYJUDTAWAH are used only in a few words
beginning with middle class consonants.
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Tone Bloopers
For foreigners speaking Thai for the first time, it can be embarrassing if they get the tone wrong. Fortunately for you, you have chosen to learn the Thai language. When you travel in Thailand you will find the Thai people to be very supportive when they find out that you are trying to learn Thai. They will help you a lot without laughing!
Probably one of the main problem words you will come across is for "near" and "far". Although they are opposite in meaning, in Thai they are very similar sound.
ใกล glai near
ไกล glai far
Obviously, if you ask someone if it is far to the train station, you must know your tones. Is it far or near!
A popular activity you might like to do while in Thailand is horse back riding. However, be careful if you say to a Thai person that you want to ride a horse. If you get the tone wrong, they might think you want something else!
ขมา kee maa ride horse
ขมา kee maa horse excretement
Actually, kee is not really a bad word. It is used often for things like "sleep in your eyes" (kee dtaa), bogies up your nose (kee mook) and also ear wax (kee hoo). Oh yes, can you guess what dandruff would be? Yes, kee hua!
The word maa can mean different things depending on the spelling
มา maa Come
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มา maa Horse
หมา maa Dog
Another difficult word for foreigners to get right is khao. Be careful, you might be saying you want to eat rice, or if you get the tone wrong, people might think you are a canibal!
เขา khao enter
ขาว khao white
ขาว khao rice
เขา khao mountain
เขา khao he/she
ขาว khao news
A story that Mike told us on the message forums was quite embarrassing. He was asking around for the person who sold tickects. He wanted to catch a train. However, he got a tone wrong and people were shocked when they thought he was asking for a prostitute!
คนขายตว khon kai dtua ticket seller
คนขายตว khon kai dtua prostitute
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If you are staying with some Thai people, be careful when you are saying good night!
ฟนด fun dee good teeth
ฝนด fun dee good dream
This is another of those words which change its meaning with the tone.
มน mun it
หมน mun sterile
หมน mun often
หมน mun engagement
Foreigners learn how to say "beautiful" quite quickly. But, be careful, you might be cursing a woman instead of saying how pretty she is!
ซวย suay curse
สวย suay beautiful
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Don't mix up your older sibling with a ghost!
พ pee letter "P"
พ pee older sibling
ผ pee ghost
Or your younger sibling and pus!
นอง nong calf
นอง nong younger sibling
หนอง nong pus
Do you want some water or thorns?
น า nam water
หนาม nam thorn
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OK, be very careful here!
จ ม jim dip
จ ม jim vagina
The last one is the funniest. Do you want milk with your coffee or do you want her to shake her breasts!!!
ใสนม sai nom pour in milk
สายนม sai nom shake your breasts
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Consonants
The Low Class Consonants.
The following are the Low Class consonants.
ค ฆ ง ช ซ ฌ ญ ฑ ฒ ณ ท ธ น พ ฟ ภ ม ย ล ร ว ฬ ฮ
A small tip, this is the biggest group. It is not necessary to try and learn these low class consonants since if you have learned the high and middle class consonants, it follows that everything else is a low class consonant.
Tone Rules for Low Class Consonants
(1) Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having no tone mark take the Mid Tone unless they end with K, P or T sounds or in a short vowel.
ค า Word ชา Tea ท า Make, do.
นา Field ง Snake มา Come
ราคา Price ลม Wind ชม Admire
(2) Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having no tone mark but ending in K, P or T sounds, take:
the Falling Tone if the vowel is long. the High Tone if the vowel is short.
Falling Tone.
มาก Many รป Picture เรยก Call
พด Speak ยด Stretch ยาก Difficult
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High Tone.
พก Rest ค ก Prison รก Love
ลด Decrease ค ด Think ช ด Suit
(3) Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having a short open vowel take the High Tone. There are very few complete words of this type.
และ And ม No, not. เพราะ Because
(4) Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having the tone mark MYAYK
(- ) over the initial consonant take the Falling Tone.
ค Pair แม Mother พอ Father
ไม No, not. งาย Easy ว ง Run
รวม Together นง Sit เทา Equal
(5) Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having the tone mark MYTO (- )
over the initial consonant take the High Tone.
มา Horse น า Water ไว Keep
นอย A little ซาย Left side ชาง Elephant
The Middle Class Consonants.
The following are the Middle Class consonants.
ก จ ฎ ฏ ด ต บ ป อ
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Of these the consonant อ should be specially noted. When this occurs as an initial
consonant and is immediately followed by the low class letter ย it is always silent but the
tone of the syllable still follows the tone rules for a syllable having an initial middle class consonant in the normal manner.
There are only four words plus a number of compounds where the silent “อ” occurs, and
you will notice that they all take the low tone.
อยา Prohibition, Don’t อยาก Wish
อยาง Manner อย Live
Tone Rules for Middle Class Consonants.
(1) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having no tone mark take the Mid Tone unless they end with K, P or T sounds or in a short vowel.
กร ง Town บ น To fly ใจ Heart
ด า Black เดยว One only ตรง Straight
เอา Want จน Until ไกล Far
(2) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having no tone mark take the Low Tone if they end in K, P or T sounds.
บอก To tell จบ To kiss ด บ Unripe
ตก Fall ตด Cut เกบ Keep
ป ด Close จบ Seize บาท Tical
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(3) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and ending with a short open vowel take the Low Tone. There are not many words of this type.
ด Cruel จะ Will ปะ Meet
เตะ Kick กะ Estimate ต To blame
(4) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having the tone mark
MYAYK ( - ) over the initial consonant take the Low Tone.
กอน Before ก How many? เกา Old
ไก Fowl ปา Forest เตา Tortoise
(5) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having the tone mark MYTO
( - ) over the initial consonant take the Falling Tone.
เกา Nine จาง To hire ตอง Must
ตน Tree ได Can บาง Some
ป ง Roast ก ง Prawn ใกล Near
(6) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having the tone mark
MYDTREE ( - ) over the initial consonant take the High Tone. There are very few of
these words.
โตะ Table ต Fat, plump. จะ A final particle.
Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having the tone mark
MYJUDTAWAH ( - ) over the initial consonant take the Rising Tone. There are very
few of these words.
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เดยวน Now ตว Ticket บอย Waiter
High Class Consonants & Tone Marks
All of the examples on this page are high class consonants. A reminder of the rules are at the bottom of this page.
Tone Chart: When you listen to each row in the chart below, you will hear these tones each time: rising, low and falling.
1 2 3
ขา ขา ขา
ผา ผา ผา
โห โห โห
เขา เขา เขา
เสอ เสอ เสอ
ใส ใส ใส
แส แส แส
(1) Syllables beginning with a high class consonant and have no tone mark take the Rising Tone unless they end with K, P or T sounds or a short open vowel.
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Syllables beginning with a high class consonant and having no tone mark take the Low Tone if they end in K, P or T sound or with a short open vowel.
(2) Syllables beginning with a high class consonant and having the tone mark MYAYK (- ) over the consonant take the Low Tone irrespective of ending.
(3) Syllables beginning with a high class consonant and having the tone mark MYTO (- ) over the consonant take the Falling Tone irrespective of ending.
Examples.
Read through the following words and note the tone of each.
Mid Tone.
คน Night ใคร Who ชาน Dish
นอน Sleep พอ Enough มอ Hand
เมย Wife โมง O’clock ยง Yet
รอ Wait เรา We ย ง Shoot
Falling Tone.
ชาต Nation ญาต Relative รด To iron
คา Price รม Umbrella โง Silly
ชวย Help เร ม Commence เลม Volume
High Tone.
นก Bird รบ Receive มด Ant
ลาง Wash ท ก Every พร ก Chilli
ซอ Buy เนอ Meat น ด Diminutive
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TONE MARKS
Low Class Consonants & Tone Marks
All of the examples on this page are low class consonants. A reminder of the rules are at the bottom of this page.
Tone Chart: When you listen to each row in the chart below, you will hear these tones each time: mid, falling and high.
1 2 3
ค ค ค
พอ พอ พอ
ซ ซ ซ
แม แม แม
ไม ไม ไม
นา นา นา
ลอ ลอ ลอ
เชา เชา เชา
ซอ ซอ ซอ
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(1) Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having no tone mark take the Mid Tone unless they end with K, P or T sounds or in a short vowel.
Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having no tone mark but ending in K, P or T sounds, take:
the Falling Tone if the vowel is long. the High Tone if the vowel is short.
Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having a short open vowel take the High Tone. There are very few complete words of this type.
(2) Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having the tone mark MYAYK (- ) over the initial consonant take the Falling Tone.
(3) Syllables beginning with a low class consonant and having the tone mark MYTO (- )
over the initial consonant take the High Tone.
Middle Class Consonants & Tone Marks
All of the examples on this page are middle class consonants. A reminder of the rules are at the bottom of this page.
Tone Chart: When you listen to each row in the chart below, you will hear these tones each time: mid, low, falling, high and rising.
1 2 3 4 5
แก แก แก แก แก
ปา ปา ปา ปา ปา
เกา เกา เกา เกา เกา
ต ต ต ต ต
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ป ป ป ป ป
ไต ไต ไต ไต ไต
(1) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having no tone mark take the Mid Tone unless they end with K, P or T sounds or in a short vowel.
(2) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having the tone mark
MYAYK (-) over the initial consonant take the Low Tone.
(3) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having the tone mark MATA
(- ) over the initial consonant take the Falling Tone.
(4) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having the tone mark
MYDTREE (- ) over the initial consonant take the High Tone. There are very few of
these words.
(5) Syllables beginning with a middle class consonant and having the tone mark
MYJUDTAWAH (- ) over the initial consonant take the Rising Tone. There are very few
of these words.
High Class Consonants & Tone Marks
All of the examples on this page are high class consonants. A reminder of the rules are at the bottom of this page.
Tone Chart: When you listen to each row in the chart below, you will hear these tones each time: rising, low and falling.
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1 2 3
ขา ขา ขา
ผา ผา ผา
โห โห โห
เขา เขา เขา
เสอ เสอ เสอ
ใส ใส ใส
แส แส แส
(1) Syllables beginning with a high class consonant and have no tone mark take the Rising Tone unless they end with K, P or T sounds or a short open vowel.
Syllables beginning with a high class consonant and having no tone mark take the Low Tone if they end in K, P or T sound or with a short open vowel.
(2) Syllables beginning with a high class consonant and having the tone mark MYAYK (- ) over the consonant take the Low Tone irrespective of ending.
(3) Syllables beginning with a high class consonant and having the tone mark MYTO (- ) over the consonant take the Falling Tone irrespective of ending.
Test: Consonant Classes Sort the Consonants into the correct class