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| Thai Language The Thai alphabet was derived from, or at least influenced by, the Old Khmer alphabet. According to tradition it was created in 1283 by King Ramkhamhaeng The Great (พ่อขุนรามคำแหงมหาราช). | Three Important Steps in Studying Thai Language: | 1. Memorize the Character Set The 44 Consonants (พยัญชนะ) in Thai are divided by Class: High, Middle, and Low. There are 11 High Class, 9 Middle Class, and 23 Low Class Consonants. These classes are the first step in determining tone. Note: Memorize the important characters in both the High and Middle Class consonants... everything else is Low Class. | 2. Memorize the Vowel Set
There are 32 vowels (รูปสระ). These vowels appear in front of, below, above, and in combination with the consonant. The sound of the vowel will always follow that of the consonant. Vowels are divided by the length of their sound, Short and Long. Note: A Short vowel is normally 'shorter' in sound than its longer counterpart. Study the Short vowels first. The pattern is easy to remember and everything else is Long. | 3. Study the Tone System Thai is the most beautiful of languages because of the use of tone. There are four tone marks (วรรณยุกต์). Different tone marks create different meanings of the same original word. |
Consonants (พยัญชนะ): | | Name/ Meaning | | | Name/ Meaning | ก | 
| ก ไก่ gaw gai (chicken) | ข | 
| ข ไข่ kaaw kai (egg) | ฃ | 
| ฃ ฃวด kaaw kwuat (bottle) | ค | 
| ค ควาย kaw kwai (buffalo) | ฅ | 
| ฅ ฅน kaw kon (person) | ฆ | 
| ฆ ระฆัง kaw ra-kang (bell) | ง | 
| ง งู ngaw nguu (snake) | จ | 
| จ จาน jaw jaan (plate) | ฉ | 
| ฉ ฉิ่ง chaaw ching (cymbals) | ช |  | ช ช้าง chaw chang (elephant) | ซ | 
| ซ โซ่ saw soh (chain) | ฌ | 
| ฌ เฌอ chaw chur (bush) | ญ | 
| ญ หญิง yaw ying (woman) | ฎ |  | ฎ ชฎา daw sha-da (headdress) | ฏ | 
| ฏ ปฏัก taw pa-tuk (goad) | ฐ | 
| ฐ ฐาน taaw taan (base) | ฑ | 
| ฑ มณโฑ taw mon-tow (dancer) | ฒ | 
| ฒ ผู้เฒ่า taw poo-tao (old person) | ณ | 
| ณ เณร naw nain (novice monk) | ด | 
| ด เด็ก daw dek (child) | ต | 
| ต เต่า taw tao (turtle) | ถ | 
| ถ ถุง taaw toong (sack) | ท | 
| ท ทหาร taw ta-haan (soldier) | ธ | 
| ธ ธง taw tong (flag) | น | 
| น หนู naw noo (mouse) | บ | 
| บ ใบไม้ baw bai-my (leaf) | ป | 
| ป ปลา paw plaa (fish) | ผ | 
| ผ ผึ้ง paaw peung (bee) | ฝ | 
| ฝ ฝา faw faa (lid) | พ | 
| พ พาน paw paan (tray) | ฟ | 
| ฟ ฟัน faw fun (teeth) | ภ | 
| ภ สำเภา paw sum-pao (sailboat) | ม | 
| ม ม้า maw maa (horse) | ย | 
| ย ยักษ์ yaw yuk (giant) | | ร | 
| ร เรือ raw rua (boat) | ล | 
| ล ลิง law ling (monkey) | ว | 
| ว แหวน waw waen (ring) | ศ | 
| ศ ศาลา saaw sa-la (pavillion) | ษ | 
| ษ ฤๅษี saaw ru-si (hermit) | ส | 
| ส เสือ saaw sua (tiger) | ห | 
| ห หีบ haw heep (chest) | ฬ | 
| ฬ จุฬา raw chu-raa (kite) | อ | 
| อ อ่าง aw aang (basin) | ฮ | 
| ฮ นกฮูก haw nawk-huuk (owl) |
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| Consonant Classes: High | ข ฃ ฉ ฐ ถ ผ ฝ ศ ษ ส ห | Middle | ก จ ด ต ฎ ฏ บ ป อ | Low | ค ฅ ฆ ง ช ซ ฌ ญ ฑ ฒ ณ ท ธ น พ ฟ ภ ม ย ร ล ว ฬ ฮ |
Consonant in Alphabetical Order by Sound: Word Begin | Sound | Word End | Sound | Symbols | | aw | "aw" law | aw | "aw" law | อ | | b | "b" boy | p | "p" sharp | บ ป | | bp | "bp" | p | "p" sharp | ป | | ch | "ch" church | t | "t" shirt | ช ฉ ฌ | | d | "d" dirty | t | "d" | ด ฎ | | dt | "dt" fifty | t | "t" shirt | ต ฏ | | f | "f" fan | p | "p" sharp | ฟ | | f | "f" fan | | | ฝ | | g | "gk" cuckoo | k | "k" sick | ก | | h | "h" ham | | | ห ฮ | | j | "j" statue | t | "t" shirt | จ ช | | k | hard"k" can | k | "k" sick | ค ต ฆ | | kh | "k" kite | k | "k" sick | ก ข ค | | l | "l" lick | n | "n" nun | ล ฬ | | m | "m" man | m am | "m" ham | ม อำ | | n | "n" nun | n | "n" nun | น ฌ ล ญ ร | | ng | "ng" singer | ng | "ng" sing | ง | | p | "p" pest | p | "p" sharp | ผ พ ถ ป ฟ | | r | "r" | n | "ahn" barn | ร | | s | "s" soap | t | "t" shirt | ซ ส ศ ษ | | s | "s" soap | | | ทร | | t | "t" tack | t | "t" shirt | ถ ท ธ ฐ ฑ ฒ ช ฉ ฌ ด ฎ ต ฏ | | w | "w" wand (before a, o, u) "v" vim (before i or e) | w | "ao" how | ว | | y | "y" yam | oi | "y" boy | ย | | y | "y" yam | n | "n" nun | ญ |
Pronunciation Hints: The Thai language has 44 letters with 3 levels of consonant tones and also 5 tone makers to command intonations. It is read and written from left to right, from top to bottom. In speaking Thai, equal emphasis should be given to the sounds of each syllable, as vowels, levels of consonants, and tone markers rigidly command intonation. For "sir" and "madam" in Thai, you think of your own sex and use "krap" if you are a man, "ka" if you are a woman, regardless of sex of the person to be addressed. Also, it is always polite to use "krap" and "ka" in most conversations. The word "I" in Thai has to be changed according to the sex of the subject which is "bohm" if you are a man, and "de-chan" if you are a woman. | a | is for a sound like the first a in English mama | | ae | is used for the sound "air" | | e | is for a short sound like the English e in me or in pen | | ee | is for the long sound of e | | i | is about the English hi or win | | ai | is like i but a little longer | | o | is like the English so or con | | aw | is for or but shorter sound | | u | is for a sound like the English you, but in certain places it is meant for the sound un as in English under | | ou | is for u as in put but a little longer |
To study more about the Thai language, AmericanThai.net is proud to present the special links to: "E-Learning Courseware" of Chiang Mai University. 
 
Other Recommended Web Links: | | Vowel Diacritics (รูปสระ): 
[ a ] |  [ aa ]
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[ i ] | 
[ ii ] | 
[ ue ] | 
[ uue ] | 
[ u ] | 
[ uu ] | 
[ e ] | 
[ ee ] | 
[ ae ] | 
[ aae ] | 
[ o ] |  [ oo ]
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[ oa ] |  [ ooa ]
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[ ua ] | 
[ uua ] | 
[ ia ] | 
[ iia ] | 
[ uea ] | 
[ uuea ] | 
[ oe ] | 
[ ooe ] | 
[ am ] | 
[ ai ] | 
[ ai ] | 
[ ao ] | 
[ rue ] | 
[ ruue ] | 
[ lue ] | 
[ luue ] |
Numerals (ตัวเลขไทย): ๐ ศูนย์ soon 0 | ๑ หนึ่ง neung 1 | ๒ สอง song 2 | ๓ สาม saam 3 | ๔ สี่ see 4 | ๕ ห้า haa 5 | ๖ หก hok 6 | ๗ เจ็ด jet 7 | ๘ แปด paad 8 | ๙ เก้า gao 9 | ๑๐ สิบ sip 10 | |
Thai Tone Marks (วรรณยุกต์): 
| ไม้เอก (mai-ek): low or falling tone e.g., ใช่ = chai (yes) | 
| ไม้โท (mai-toh): falling or high tone e.g., บ้าน = baahn (house) | 
| ไม้ตรี (mai-dtrii): high tone e.g., โต๊ะ = dto (table) | 
| ไม้จัตวา (mai jaht-dtah-waah): rising tone e.g., ปุ๋ย = bpui (manure) |
Miscellaneous Symbols: ๘ | ไม้ไต่คู้ (mai dtai-kuu) to shorten "ay" to "e" e.g., เม็ด = met (seed) and "aae" to "ae" e.g., แฟ็กซ์ = faek (fax) | 
| การันต์ (gaah-rahn) or ไม้ทัณฑฆาต (mai tahn-tah-kaaht) to silent last letter (or last two letters). The letters most commonly silented are "s" and "r" sounds at the ends of foreign words (usually represented by "ซ" or "ร" or the last letters of words derived from Pali). These letters commonly are ด ต ค ณ ร. | ๆ | ไม้ยมก (mai yah-mok) Preceding word is repeated. | ฯ | ไม้ไปยาลน้อย (mai bpai-yaahn-noi) Word is abbreviated. | ฯลฯ | ไม้ไปยาลใหญ่ (mai bpai-yaahn-yai) etc. |
CONVERSATIONS Examples of General Expressions: SALUTATIONS | English Pronunciations Thai | Good morning Mr. Somchai. sa-was-DEE krap / ka Kuun Somchai สวัสดี ครับ / ค่ะ คุณสมชาย | English Pronunciations Thai | How are you? sa-BAI DEE roo krap / ka ? สบายดีหรือ ครับ / คะ | English Pronunciations Thai | I am pleased to meet you. bohm / de-CHAN yin-dee tee di RU-JAK kuun. ผม / ดิฉัน ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักคุณ | English Pronunciations Thai | Thank you. KOB kuun krap / ka. ขอบคุณ ครับ / ค่ะ | English Pronunciations Thai | Please. prode (ka-RU-na) โปรด (กรุณา) | English Pronunciations Thai | Good bye (by host). sa-was-DEE krap / ka สวัสดี ครับ / ค่ะ | English Pronunciations Thai | Good bye (by guest). la KON (sa-was-DEE) krap / ka ลาก่อน (สวัสดี) ครับ / ค่ะ |
References: 1. Lukens System of transliteration. 2. Educational Services Corp. 3. E-Learning Courseware, Chiang Mai University. 4. Courage Software Thai Interactive Language Course. 
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