การสอนพยัญชนะ In this lesson, we will introduce the consonants that make up the Thai alphabet. Memorizing these letters and the sounds they represent will help you in your goal of learning to read Thai writing. Learning to read Thai will help you to learn the language more quickly, and will definitely improve your pronunciation. All 44 consonants are divided into Middle Class Consonants, High Class Consonants, and Low Class Consonants. Middle Class Middle class consonants can pronounce all five tones, which are mid tone, low tone, falling tone, high tone and rising tone when mixed with vowels. There are nine middle class consonants as show in the table below. Consonant Pronunciation Initial sound Final sound Translation ก gor-gai g k Gai is chicken จ jor-jaan j d Jaan is dish ด dor-dek d d Dek is child ต tor-tao t d Tao is turtle ฎ dor-cha-daa d d Cha-daa is head dress ฏ tor-pa-tak t d Pa-tak is goad บ bor-bai-maai b b Bai-maai is leaf ป por-plaa p b Plaa is fish อ or-aang - (vowel) Aang is basin Consonant Pronunciation Initial sound Final sound Translation ก gor-gai g k Gai is chicken จ jor-jaan j d Jaan is dish ด dor-dek d d Dek is child ต tor-tao t d Tao is turtle ฎ dor-cha-daa d d Cha-daa is head dress ฏ tor-pa-tak t d Pa-tak is goad บ bor-bai-maai b b Bai-maai is leaf ป por-plaa p b Plaa is fish อ or-aang - (vowel) Aang is basin
High Class High class consonants can pronounce three tones, which are low tone, falling tone, and rising tone when mixed with vowels. There are 11 high class consonants as shown in the table below. Consonant Pronunciation Initial sound Final sound Translation ข kor-kai k k Kai is egg ฃ* kor-kuad k k Kuad is bottle ฉ chor-ching ch – Ching is cymbals ฐ thor-thaan th d Thaan is pedestal ถ thor-thung th d Thung is sack ผ phor-pheung ph - Pheung is bee ฝ for-faa f - Faa is lid ศ sor-saa-laa s d Saa-laa is pavilion ษ sor-reuu-sii s d Reuu-sii is hermit ส sor-suea s d Suea is tiger ห hor-heep h - Heep is trunk Remark: ฃ (khor-khuad) is no longer in use.
Low Class Low class consonants can pronounce three tones, which are mid tone, falling tone, and high tone when mixed with vowels. There are 24 low class consonants as shown in the table below. Consona nt Pronunciat ion Initia l soun d Final soun d Translation ค kor-kwaai k k Kor-kwaai is buffalo ฅ kor-kon k – Kon is person ฆ kor-rakang k k Ra-kang is bell ง ngor-nguu ng ng Nguu is snake ช chorchaang ch d Chaang is elephant ซ sor-soh s d Soh is chain ฌ chor-cher ch d Cher is tree ญ yor-ying y n Ying is lady ฑ thor-montho th d Mon-tho is character in the Ramayana *Remark:ฅ (kor-kon) is no longer in use.
Consonant Pronunciation Initial sound Final sound Translation ฒ thor-phuthao th d Phu-thao is old man ณ nor-naen n n Naen is novice ท thor-thahaan th d Tha-haan is soldier ธ thor-thong th d Thong is flag น nor-nuu n n Nuu is rat พ phorphaan ph b Phaan is tray with pedestal ฟ for-fun f b Fun is tooth ภ phor-samphao ph b Sam-phao is junk (Type of Chinese sailing ship) ม mor-maa m m Maa is horse ย yor-yak y y (and also vowel) Yak is giant
Consonant Pronunciation Initial sound Final sound Translation ร raw-ruea r n Ruea is boat ล law-ling l n Ling is monkey ว wor-waen w vowel Waen is ring ฬ law-ju-laa l n Ju-laa is starshaped kite ฮ hor-nokhuuk h – Nok-huuk is owl Notes: The sound อ acts as a vowel carrier or represents the glottal stop, which is commonly found in Thai but does not have a direct English equivalent. Glottal stops in English are subtle and may appear in casual speech, like the brief pause in " uh-oh."