<\/p>\n
When I teach a new set of beginning learners in my class, the very first lesson I give is on<\/a> Thai<\/a> tones<\/a>. To scare them a bit I present various words that sound the same, but change meaning depending on the tone. While most teachers prefer to give the famous \u2018mai\u2019 example, I prefer the \u2018kow\u2019 example because it\u2019s even worse (harder?).<\/p>\n What makes \u2018kow\u2019 really hard is that there are so many different similarly sounding words (to the English ear) with no easy way to remember which is which. I\u2019m just going to list them out below, and leave it up to you to memorize.<\/p>\n Before we start, I must differentiate between \u0e40\u0e2d\u0e32<\/strong> (ow) and \u0e2d\u0e32\u0e27<\/strong> (aow). For the English speaking ear these vowels sound almost exactly the same.<\/p>\n The \u0e40\u0e2d\u0e32 (ow) vowel sounds just like \u2018ow\u2019 in English, as in \u2018ow that hurts\u2019.<\/p>\n To say the \u0e2d\u0e32\u0e27 (aow) vowel, start off by making a long \u2018aa\u2019 sound. Then follow it off with a \u2018w\u2019 at the end.<\/p>\n Ask a Thai to listen and let you know if you\u2019re pronouncing them right.<\/p>\n He ate white rice.<\/p>\n \u0e40\u0e02\u0e32\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27\u0e02\u0e32\u0e27<\/p>\n Kow5 gin1 kaow3 kaow5<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A bat came and ate his knee.<\/p>\n \u0e21\u0e35\u0e04\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07\u0e04\u0e32\u0e27\u0e40\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e01\u0e34\u0e19\u0e40\u0e02\u0e48\u0e32\u0e40\u0e04\u0e49\u0e32<\/p>\n Mee1 kaang4kaow1 kow3 maa1 gin1 kaow2 kow4<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The reporter entered Khao San road.<\/p>\n Nak4kaow2 kow3 ta2non5 kaow3 saan5<\/p>\n \u0e19\u0e31\u0e01\u0e02\u0e48\u0e32\u0e27\u0e40\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e16\u0e19\u0e19\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e23<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I teach a new set of beginning learners in my class, the very first lesson I give is on Thai tones. To scare them a bit I present various words that sound the same, but change meaning depending on the tone. While most teachers prefer to give the famous \u2018mai\u2019 example, I prefer the…<\/p>\n\n\n
\n Thai<\/td>\n Karaoke<\/td>\n English<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0e02\u0e49\u0e32\u0e27<\/td>\n Kaow3<\/td>\n Rice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0e02\u0e32\u0e27<\/td>\n Kaow5<\/td>\n White<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0e02\u0e48\u0e32\u0e27<\/td>\n Kaow2<\/td>\n News<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0e04\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07\u0e04\u0e32\u0e27<\/td>\n Kaang4kaow1<\/td>\n Bat (the flying squirrel)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0e40\u0e02\u0e48\u0e32<\/td>\n Kow2<\/td>\n Knee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0e40\u0e02\u0e49\u0e32<\/td>\n Kow3<\/td>\n Enter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0e40\u0e04\u0e49\u0e32<\/td>\n Kow4<\/td>\n Him (slang)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u0e40\u0e02\u0e32<\/td>\n Kow5<\/td>\n Him, her, they<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n