Tag Archives: Alphabet

Writing the Thai Alphabet Low Consonants – 2 of 2

By admin | Published: March 27, 2010

Here we review the writing for the final 10 of 24 Low Consonants in the Thai Alphabet, namely พ, ฟ, ภ, ม, ย, ร, ล, ว, ฬ, ฮ

Write the Thai Low Consonants - พ ฟ ภ ม

  • #30 - พอ พาน - pau paan
  • #31 - ฟอ ฟัน - fau fun
  • #32 - ภอ สำเภา - pau sam pao
  • #33 - มอ ท้า - mau maa

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeBV_8_DXec

Write the Thai Low Consonants - ย ร ล

  • #34 - ยอ ยักษ์ - yau yag
  • #35 - รอ เรือ - rau ru-ah
  • #36 - ลอ ลิง - lau ling

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PTqpGqTYC4

Write the Thai Low Consonants - ว ฬ ฮ

  • #37 - วอ แหวน - wau waayn
  • #42 - ฬอ จุฬา - lau ju laa
  • #44 - ฮอ นกฮูก - hau nog hoog

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUhxOkVEQtE

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Writing the Thai Alphabet Low Consonants – 1 of 2

By admin | Published: March 27, 2010

Here we review the writing for the first 14 of 24 Low Consonants in the Thai Alphabet, namely ค ฅ ฆ ง ช ซ ฌ ญ ฑ ฒ ณ ท ธ น

Write the Thai Low Consonants - ค ฅ ฆ ง

  • #4 - คอ ควาย - kau kwaai
  • #5 - ฅอ ฅน - kau cone (change from "kon")
  • #6 - ฆอ ระฆัง - kau ra kang
  • #7 - งอ งู - ngau ngoo

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJNVKbnbjp4

Write the Thai Low Consonants - ช ซ

  • #10 - ชอ ช้าง - shau shaang
  • #11 - ซอ โซ่ - sau soh

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf_pMEzsQ1Q

Write the Thai Low Consonants - ฌ ญ

  • #12 - ฌอ เฌอ - shau shuhh (change from "shuh")
  • #13 - ญอ หญิง - yau ying

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQGEsj1jXOw

Write the Thai Low Consonants - ฑ ฒ ณ

  • #17 - ฑอ มณโฑ - tau mon toh
  • #18 - ฌอ ผู้เฌ่า - tau poo tao
  • #19 - ณอ เณร - nau nayn (change from "nane")

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmsY477_2pc

Write the Thai Low Consonants - ท ธ น

  • #23 - ทอ ทหาร - tau ta haan
  • #24 - ธอ ธง - tau tohng
  • #25 - นอ หนู - nau nhoo

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNXDO3DYDk0

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Thai Tone Frequency and Syllable Length

By admin | Published: January 24, 2010

One aspect of the Thai Alphabet cards which we chose to display a tone frequency and syllable duration marker as a colored line across a two dimensional grid.

Method of Tone Frequency and Syllable Length Display

First, we used the Tone Shape and Approximate Frequency adapted from Naksakul (1977:106) found on page 7 of Elementary Thai for Foreigners, authors Somsonge Burusphat, Sujaritlak Deepadung, Sukhuma-Vadee khamhiran, Mahidol University, 1991.

[flickr]4300801974[/flickr]

Relative Length of Long and Short Syllables

Second, we added relative lengths to the short and long syllables, which added information. In Naksakul (1977) we are provided with a mapping of tone frequencies relative to their duration. However, (and here generally speaking, but not precisely) there are at least both short and long syllables. It appears that each tone can be both long or short, which gives 10 possible tone/length combinations.

[flickr]4300670680[/flickr]

Our modification of the frequency displays was merely to shorten the tone at the 50% mark, that is, to compress the frequency shape into half the time. This is clearly a simplification but is most helpful in terms of visually seeing and learning long and short syllables, something that is especially difficult for Native English speakers, along with the tones themselves.

Modification of Mid-Tone Short Syllable

One adaptation we made was to the short mid-tone. It appeared visually as if it had a slight downward trajectory, but upon listening to native speakers that is not accurate. We decided that the tone frequency was being truncated before finishing. We revised this image by segmenting at the 75% mark of the long tone, and then shortening the tone length as we had done with all other short tones.

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Pronunciation – Thai Low Consonants – Set 3

By admin | Published: January 22, 2010

There are Twenty-four Low consonants in Thai. Some are less common than others but all are used in some words. In a few cases the letters are common in place names and Thai names and nicknames. It is common to learn Low consonants in sets (we choose to do 3 sets of 8 consonants, in alphabetical order), and to start the Low consonants after the first set of 7 common Mid consonants.

The third set of 8 Low Consonants

  • #32 - ภอ สำเภา - pau sam pao
  • #33 - มอ ท้า - mau maa
  • #34 - ยอ ยักษ์ - yau yag
  • #35 - รอ เรือ - rau ru-ah
    • Note: this is a rolling "r" such as found in Spanish, and not pronounced like an "r" in English
  • #36 - ลอ ลิง - lau ling
  • #37 - วอ แหวน - wau waayn
  • #42 - ฬอ จุฬา - lau ju laa
  • #44 - ฮอ นกฮูก - hau nog hoog

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Pronunciation – Thai Low Consonants – Set 2

By admin | Published: January 21, 2010

There are Twenty-four Low consonants in Thai. Some are less common than others but all are used in some words. In a few cases the letters are common in place names and Thai names and nicknames. It is common to learn Low consonants in sets (we choose to do 3 sets of 8 consonants, in alphabetical order), and to start the Low consonants after the first set of 7 common Mid consonants.

The second set of 8 Low Consonants

  • #17 - ฑอ มณโฑ - tau mon toh
  • #18 - ฌอ ผู้เฌ่า - tau poo tao
  • #19 - ณอ เณร - nau nayn (change from "nane")
  • #23 - ทอ ทหาร - tau ta haan
  • #24 - ธอ ธง - tau tohng
  • #25 - นอ หนู - nau nhoo
  • #30 - พอ พาน - pau paan
  • #31 - ฟอ ฟัน - fau fun

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Pronunciation Practice – Thai Low Consonants – Set 1

By admin | Published: January 19, 2010

There are Twenty-four Low consonants in Thai. Some are less common than others but all are used in some words. In a few cases the letters are common in place names and Thai names and nicknames. It is common to learn Low consonants in sets (we choose to do 3 sets of 8 consonants, in alphabetical order), and to start the Low consonants after the first set of 7 common Mid consonants.

The first set of 8 Low Consonants

  • #4 - คอ ควาย - kau kwaai
  • #5 - ฅอ ฅน - kau khon (change from "kon")
  • #6 - ฆอ ระฆัง - kau ra kang
  • #7 - งอ งู - ngau ngoo
  • #10 - ชอ ช้าง - shau shaang
    • Note: Thai people do not make the same sound as an English "ch" or "sh". The way the sound is produced (place and manner of articulation) is different. We will discuss this more in full in a future article.
  • #11 - ซอ โซ่ - sau soh
  • #12 - ฌอ เฌอ - shau shuhh (chang from "shuh")
  • #13 - ญอ หญิง - yau ying

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Pronunciation Practice – First Set of Mid-Consonants

By admin | Published: January 16, 2010

The First Set of Consonants to Learn

It is common to begin learning the Thai consonants in groups rather than in a linear fashion. The first set of consonants learned is generally the common mid-consonants. Seven of the nine Mid-Consonants are common, while two are uncommon and rarely used. Those are left for later. The idea is to learn consonants which can be built upon in terms of using vowels and creating words.

  • Purchase the Thai Alphabet Flash Cards

  • 1 Gau Gai - กอ ไก่

  • #8 Jau Jaan - จอ จาน
  • #20 Dau Deg - ดอ เด็ก
  • #21 Dtau Dtao - ตอ เต่า
  • #26 Bau Bai Mai - บอ ใบไมั
  • #27 Bpau Bplaa - ปอ ปสา
  • #43 Au Aang - ออ อ่าง

We use the Lanna Innovation Thai Consonant cards for this practice.

The 7 common Thai Alphabet Mid-Consonants

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Thai Consonant Tone and Pronunciation Practice

By admin | Published: January 10, 2010

The first set of Thai Alphabet Cards is the 44 Thai Consonants. Below we have simple pronunciation drills for each of the cards, divided into four videos of around 3 minutes each.

01 - Gau Gai - Thai Alphabet Consonants - How to Learn Thai

Pronunciation Practice Drills

Each video has a female speaker who pronounces a consonant three times, and then a male speaker. Each of the speakers is a Thai native speaker who is using standard Thai pronunciation.

Each video is available in HD so click on the HD button at the bottom of the player and size for a full-screen view to be able to read all details on the Thai consonant flash cards.

Tones and Syllable Length

Two key factors beyond making the correct sound (place and manner of articulation of the mouth and larynx), it is helpful to track the tones against the graphical tone indicators (the lines underneath the English phonetic transcription). These show the relative frequency of tone as well as the duration (length of the line).

Thai Consonants 1-11

Thai Consonants 12-23

Thai Consonants 24-34

Thai Consonants 35-44

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ก. ไก่ – The first letter of the Thai alphabet

By admin | Published: September 20, 2009

Sound

The first letter of the Thai alphabet - English sideก has the sound of .g. as golf, gun, guide in English when it is an initial consonant. กา crow (gaa), กิน to eat (gin), ไก่ chicken (gai). Note: The word "koh" that is the official name for island then misleads the foreign speaker to pronounce it wrong.

If it appears after a vowel ก will be softly pronounced as a stop "g" but not with a strong aspiration as in English. For example มาก – very (maa+soft g) รัก – to love (ra+soft g), ลูก child (loo+soft g).

Name

For the benefit of helping children to memorize the 44 consonants, Thai letters are made to have its own name which is referred to the object that is related to their daily life. By this, the learners will be able to recognize the name and the sound of the consonant connected to the meaning and order. Every consonant carries the "au" vowel to it and followed by the name. In this case, ก is therefore called "gau gai"

Cultural/historical view

The first letter of the Thai alphabet - Thai sideก has the same consonant sound in the word "gai" which means "chicken" and chicken was picked because of it is historically significant to the life of the Thais as honored to be the first consonant. The relationship between chicken and the Thai has been closely connected for a long time, especially for those community in the countryside chicken are kept in each house whether to be used for food or for pleasure, or even for sport (cock-fighting). Besides, the chicken are also a main character in much of Thai literature, as in Lilit Pra Law. Many Thai proverbs use the chicken as a symbol and to teach virtues such as the following:

ไก่ได้พลอย - A chicken gets a gem.

  • Meaning: A person who has a good thing, but he doesn't know about value.

ไก่เห็นตีนงู งูเห็นนมไก่ - A chicken sees the snake's foot and a snake sees the chicken's breast.

  • Meaning: Two parties who know each other secret.

ไก่งามเพราะขน คนงามเพราะแต่ง - Fine feathers make fine birds.

  • Meaning: Clothes make the man.

Consonant class

ก is classified as "mid consonant" because it has the inherent mid tone and consonants in this group when apply to a long vowel will produce mid tone syllable, for example กา (mid), while with short vowel it becomes low tone, for example กะ (low).

Form

ก as you see in the middle of the card is the official and typing form. However, when a Thai write ก it can be varied such as …. In addition, ก may appear differently in stylish design such as

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