Thai alphabet ()

Consonants ( )

ko kai (chicken)

kho khai (egg)

kho khuat (bottle)*

kho khwai (water buffalo)

cho chan (plate)

kho khon

kho rakhang (bell)

ngo ngu

(person)*

(snake)

k/k

kh/k

kh/k

kh/k

kh/k

kh/k

ng/ng

ch/t

[ k/k ]
low

[ k/k ]
high

[ k/k ]
high

[ k/k ]
low

[ k/k ]
low

[ k/k ]
low

[ / ]
low

[ /t ]
mid

cho ching (cymbals)

so so (chain)

cho chang (elephant)

cho choe (tree)

yo ying (woman)

do cha-da (headdress)

to pa-tak (goad)

tho than (base)

ch/-

ch/t

s/t

ch/-

y/n

d/t

t/t

th/t

[ /- ]
high

[ /t ]
low

[ s/t ]
low

[ t/- ]
low

[ j/n ]
low

[ d/t ]
mid

[ t/t ]
mid

[ t/t ]
high

tho montho (Mandodari)

do dek (child)

tho phuthao (elder)

no nen (novice monk)

to tao (turtle)

tho thung (sack)

tho thahan (soldier)

tho thong (flag)

th/t

th/t

n/n

d/t

t/t

th/t

th/t

th/t

[ t/t ]
low

[ t/t ]
low

[ n/n ]
low

[ d/t ]
mid

[ t/t ]
mid

[ t/t ]
high

[ t/t ]
low

[ t/t ]
low

Notes The sounds represented by some consonants change when they are used at the end of a syllable (indicated by the letters on the right of the slash). Some consonants can only be used at the beginning of a syllable. Duplicate consonants represent different Sanskrit and Pali consonants sounds which are pronounced identically in Thai.

Created by Simon Ager, Omniglot.com the guide to writing systems and languages

Thai alphabet ()
Consonants ( )

no nu (mouse)

po pla (fish)

pho phueng (bee)

bo baimai (leaf)

fo fa (lid)

pho phan (tray)

fo fan (teeth)

pho samphao (sailboat)

n/n

b/p

p/p [ p/p ] mid

ph/-

f/-

ph/p

f/p

ph/p

[ n/n ]
low

[ b/p ]
mid

[ p/- ]
high

[ f/- ]
high

[ p/p ]
low

[ f/p ]
low

[ p/p ]
low

mo ma (horse)

ro ruea (boat)

lo ling (monkey)

yo yak (giant)

wo waen (ring)

so sala (pavilion)

so rue-si (hermit)

so suea (tiger)

m/m

y/y [ j/j ] low

r/n

l/n

w/w

s/t

s/t

s/t

[ m/m ]
low

[ r/n ]
low

[ l/n ]
low

[ w/w ]
low

[ s/t ]
high

[ s/t ]
high

[ s/t ]
high

ho hip (chest)

o ang (basin)

ho nok-huk (owl)

lo chu-la (kite)

h/[ h/- ] high

l/n

h/-

[ l/n ]
low

[ -/ ]
mid

[ h/- ]
low

Notes

Consonants are divided into three classes: low ( ), mid ( ) and high ( ) , which help to determine the tone of a syllable. The letter o ang acts as a silent vowel carrier at the beginning of words that start with a vowel. The names of the consonants are acrophonic and intended to help with learning them.

Created by Simon Ager, Omniglot.com the guide to writing systems and languages

Thai alphabet ()
Vowel diacritics ()

a [ a ] a [ a ]

i [i]

i [ i ]

ue []

ue [ ]

u [u]

u [ u ]

e [ e ] e [ e ] ae [ ] ae [ ]

o [ o ] o [ o ] o [ ] o [ ] ua [ ua ] ua [ ua ]

ia [ ia ] ia [ ia ] uea [ a ] uea [ a ] oe [ ] oe [ ]

am [ m ] ai [ aj ] ai [ aj ] ao [ aw ]

silences vowel

The vowel diacritics are shown with the letter o ang (), which acts as a silent vowel carrier at the beginning of words that start with a vowel.

Created by Simon Ager, Omniglot.com the guide to writing systems and languages

Thai alphabet ()

Punctuation

beginning of

dtaa gai

a new paragraph

khoh muut

marks the end of a story

Tone markers

mai ehk

low tone

mai toh

falling tone

maai dtree

maai jat dta waa

high tone

rising tone

Tone indication Open syllables unmarked Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 mid rising mid Closed syllables *

low low falling

falling falling high

short vowel low low high

long vowel low low falling

* Closed syllables are those ending with p, t or k

Numerals ()

sun 0

neung 1

song 2

sam 3

si 4

ha 5

hok 6

chet 7

paet 8

kao 9

sip 10

Created by Simon Ager, Omniglot.com the guide to writing systems and languages