{"id":539,"date":"2011-05-15T23:10:52","date_gmt":"2011-05-15T23:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/?p=539"},"modified":"2011-05-14T23:13:16","modified_gmt":"2011-05-14T23:13:16","slug":"thai-alphabet-vowels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/thai-alphabet-vowels\/","title":{"rendered":"Thai Alphabet, Vowels"},"content":{"rendered":"

My last post talked about Thai consonants. On first glance, you probably thought something on the lines of \u2018omg 44 consonants too many to learn!\u2019 But really, English is very similar in difficulty once you account for capitalized and lower case letters. And in English, some letters also have multiple pronunciations such as the letter \u2018c\u2019 in carrot, celery, and concert.<\/p>\n

Thai vowels don\u2019t quite work the way they do in English, in terms of how they are written. In English, words are pronounced from left to right as they are written. But in Thai, vowels can be found not just to the right of the consonant, but also to the left and even above and below. And vowels sometimes even consist of multiple letters that surround the consonant!<\/p>\n

Each vowel has its own rule on where to find it with respect to a consonant. In the following list, you\u2019ll see a dashed line \u2018\u2013\u2018<\/strong> which represents where a consonant would go. For example, \u2013<\/strong>\u0e32\u0e27 is \u2013<\/strong>aow. So \u0e14\u0e32\u0e27 is daow and \u0e2d\u0e32\u0e27 is aow. If you put a \u0e2d in to the \u2018\u2013\u2018 <\/strong>location, the vowel will make a pure sound (ie \u0e2d is silent). My recommendation is to practice these vowels by using consonants from the previous lesson.<\/p>\n

Vowels in orange are extremely rare, and therefore not worth memorizing for a beginner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Symbol<\/strong><\/td>\nRoyal<\/strong><\/td>\nVariants<\/strong><\/td>\nSimilar Sound<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nSymbol<\/strong><\/td>\nRoyal<\/strong><\/td>\nVariants<\/strong><\/td>\nSimilar Sound<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e23<\/td>\non<\/td>\norn<\/td>\naun in “faun”; same as -\u0e2d\u0e19<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e31\u0e27\u0e30<\/td>\nua<\/td>\n<\/td>\newe in “sewer”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e23\u0e23<\/td>\nan<\/td>\nun<\/td>\nun in tun; same as -\u0e31\u0e19<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e32<\/td>\na<\/td>\nah, ar, aa<\/td>\na in “father”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e23\u0e23\u2013<\/td>\na<\/td>\nu<\/td>\nu in “nut”; same as -\u0e31-<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e32\u0e22<\/td>\nai<\/td>\naai, aay, ay<\/td>\nye in “bye”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e23\u0e23\u0e21<\/td>\nam<\/td>\num<\/td>\num in “hum”; same as -\u0e33<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e32\u0e27<\/td>\nao<\/td>\nau<\/td>\now in “now”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e27\u2013<\/td>\nua<\/td>\nuar<\/td>\newe in “newer”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e33<\/td>\nam<\/td>\num<\/td>\num in “sum”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e27\u0e22<\/td>\nuai<\/td>\nuay<\/td>\nuoy in “buoy”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e34<\/td>\ni<\/td>\n<\/td>\ny in “greedy”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e2d<\/td>\no<\/td>\nor, aw<\/td>\naw in “saw”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e34\u0e27<\/td>\nio<\/td>\new<\/td>\new in “new”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e47\u0e2d\u2013<\/td>\no<\/td>\no, aw<\/td>\no in “not”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e35<\/td>\ni<\/td>\nee, ii, y<\/td>\nee in “see”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e2d\u0e22<\/td>\noi<\/td>\noy<\/td>\noy in “boy”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e36<\/td>\nue<\/td>\neu, u, uh<\/td>\nu in French “du” (short)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e30<\/td>\na<\/td>\nu<\/td>\nu in “nut”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e37<\/td>\nue<\/td>\neu, u<\/td>\nu in French “dur” (long)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e31 \u2013<\/td>\na<\/td>\nu<\/td>\nu in “nut”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e38<\/td>\nu<\/td>\noo<\/td>\noo in “look”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e31\u0e22<\/td>\nai<\/td>\n<\/td>\ni in “hi”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u2013\u0e39<\/td>\nu<\/td>\noo, uu<\/td>\noo in “too”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013\u0e31\u0e27<\/td>\nua<\/td>\n<\/td>\newe in “newer”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e40\u2013<\/td>\ne<\/td>\nay, a, ae, ai, ei<\/td>\na in “lame”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Symbol<\/strong><\/td>\nRoyal<\/strong><\/td>\nVariants<\/strong><\/td>\nSimilar Sound<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\nSymbol<\/strong><\/td>\nRoyal<\/strong><\/td>\nVariants<\/strong><\/td>\nSimilar Sound<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e47 \u2013<\/td>\ne<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne in “neck”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e40\u2013\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e30<\/td>\nuea<\/td>\neua, ua<\/td>\nure in “pure”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e30<\/td>\ne<\/td>\neh<\/td>\ne in “neck”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e41\u2013<\/td>\nae<\/td>\na<\/td>\na in “ham”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e22<\/td>\noei<\/td>\noey<\/td>\nu in “burn” + y in “boy”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e41\u2013\u0e30<\/td>\nae<\/td>\naeh, a<\/td>\na in “at”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e2d<\/td>\noe<\/td>\ner, eu, ur<\/td>\nu in “burn”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e41\u2013\u0e47 \u2013<\/td>\nae<\/td>\naeh, a<\/td>\na in “at”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e2d\u0e30<\/td>\noe<\/td>\neu<\/td>\ne in “the”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e41\u2013\u0e27<\/td>\naeo<\/td>\naew, eo<\/td>\na in “ham” + ow in “low”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e34 \u2013<\/td>\noe<\/td>\neu, u<\/td>\ne in “the”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e42\u2013<\/td>\no<\/td>\nor, oh, \u00f4<\/td>\no in “go”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e27<\/td>\neo<\/td>\neu, ew<\/td>\nai + ow in “rainbow”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e42\u2013\u0e30<\/td>\no<\/td>\noh<\/td>\no in “poke”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e32<\/td>\nao<\/td>\naw, au, ow<\/td>\now in “cow”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e43\u2013<\/td>\nai<\/td>\nay, y<\/td>\ni in “I”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e32\u0e30<\/td>\no<\/td>\norh, oh, or<\/td>\no in “not”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e44\u2013<\/td>\nai<\/td>\nay, y<\/td>\ni in “I”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e35\u0e22<\/td>\nia<\/td>\near, ere, ie<\/td>\nea in “ear”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e24<\/td>\nrue<\/td>\nru, ri<\/td>\nrew in “grew”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e35\u0e22\u0e30<\/td>\nia<\/td>\niah, ear, ie<\/td>\nea in “ear” with glottal stop<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e24\u0e45<\/td>\nrue<\/td>\nruu<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e35\u0e22\u0e27<\/td>\niao<\/td>\neaw, iew, iow<\/td>\nio in “trio”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e26<\/td>\nlue<\/td>\nlu, li<\/td>\nlew in “blew”<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0e40\u2013\u0e37\u0e2d<\/td>\nuea<\/td>\neua, ua, ue<\/td>\nure in “pure”<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u0e26\u0e45<\/td>\nlue<\/td>\nlu<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Learn the Thai vowels.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[10208],"tags":[49692],"class_list":["post-539","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-beginner","tag-thai-alphabet-vowels"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t