Learning Guide

Thai Alphabet

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The Thai alphabet, known as Akson Thai, is an abugida writing system derived from the ancient Khmer script, which in turn derived from the Brahmi script of India. It consists of 44 consonants and 15 vowel symbols that combine to form numerous complex vowels. The alphabet also includes four tone markers and various other diacritical marks. Consonants are classified into three categories (high, mid, and low), which, in combination with the tone markers, determine the pronunciation of the five tones of Thai: mid, low, falling, high, and rising. The Thai script is read from left to right and does not use spaces between words, although spaces are used to separate phrases and clauses. The Thai writing system is unique in that it allows for the accurate representation of tones, a crucial aspect of the language.

อักษรไทย

Contents

  • Introduction
  • How does it work?
  • Form a syllable
  • Thai Alphabet
    • - The Consonants
    • - The Vowels
    • - The Compound Vowels
    • - The Special Vowels
  • Learn with a course

Introduction

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The Thai script, known as akson thai (อักษรไทย), is a fascinating alphasyllabic system whose history dates back to the 13th century, during the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great. This script has its origins in the Khmer alphabet, itself derived from ancient Indian scripts such as Pallava and Brahmi. The Ramkhamhaeng Stele, dating from 1292, is often cited as one of the earliest uses of the Thai script, although its authenticity has been debated. The Thai alphabet consists of 44 consonants, each with a specific name that combines the consonant sound with a word that contains it. These consonants are divided into three distinct classes: high, mid, and low—a classification crucial for determining the tonal pronunciation of syllables. This unique structure allows for the representation of the five tones of the Thai language: mid, low, falling, high, and rising, which is essential for the correct understanding of words. In addition to consonants, the Thai alphabet includes 32 vowels (or 28 according to some sources, including diphthongs and triphthongs), which provides a great phonetic richness.

The formation of syllables in Thai is complex and distinctive. Each syllable is generally composed of an initial consonant, a vowel, and possibly a final consonant. The vowels can be placed in different places relative to the initial consonant: left, right, above, below, or even surrounding the initial consonant. For example, the vowel 'โ' (o) is placed before the consonant, while 'ะ' (a) is placed after. Some vowels are not written but are implicit, such as the 'a' in some polysyllabic syllables. The final consonants are limited to eight distinct sonorities, meaning that some consonants change their sonority in the final position. A unique feature of the Thai script is the absence of uppercase letters, punctuation, and spaces between words, which can make the reading continuous and without apparent pauses. This complex structure, combined with the importance of tones and the flexibility in the position of vowels, makes the Thai script a unique and fascinating system, reflecting the richness of the language and the Thai culture.


Romanization

Romanization based on the RGTS to facilitate learning.

Phonetic API

Transcription based on the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Without transcription

Practice reading letters without transcription to improve your recognition.

The Consonants

There are 44 Thai consonants. Out of the 44 consonants, two have become obsolete (grayed-out letters), but they are still taught.

k
kh
Obsolète kh
kh
Obsolète kh
kh
ng
ch
tch
tch
s
tch
y
d
t
th
th
th
n
d
t
th
th
th
n
b
p
ph
f
ph
f
ph
m
y
r
l
w
s
s
s
h
l
/
h
/k/
/kʰ/
Obsolète /kʰ/
/kʰ/
Obsolète /kʰ/
/kʰ/
/ŋ/
/ʨ/
/ʨʰ/
/ʨʰ/
/s/
/ʨʰ/
/j/
/d/
/t/
/tʰ/
/tʰ/
/tʰ/
/n/
/d/
/t/
/tʰ/
/tʰ/
/tʰ/
/n/
/b/
/p/
/pʰ/
/f/
/pʰ/
/f/
/pʰ/
/m/
/j/
/r/
/l/
/w/
/s/
/s/
/s/
/h/
/l/
/ʔ/
/h/

The Vowels

The vowels can be divided into 4 categories: simple vowels, compound or diphthongs, and special vowels. Vowels are never used alone, they are always accompanied by at least one consonant. Depending on the vowel, it can be placed above or below, to the left or to the right.

The dot or circle in the dotted line indicates the position of the consonant relative to the vowel.

Voyelle courte
_ะ a
Voyelle longue
_า aa
Voyelle courte
i
Voyelle longue
ii
Voyelle courte
u
Voyelle longue
ือ uu
Voyelle courte
ou
Voyelle longue
ouu
Voyelle courte
เ_ะ e
Voyelle longue
เ_ ee
Voyelle courte
แ_ะ ae
Voyelle longue
แ_ aee
Voyelle courte
โ_ะ o
Voyelle longue
โ_ oo
Voyelle courte
เ_าะ o
Voyelle longue
_อ oo
Voyelle courte
เ_อะ oe
Voyelle longue
เ_อ oee

Les diphtongues

Voyelle courte
ัวะ oua
Voyelle longue
ัว ouua
Voyelle courte
เียะ ia
Voyelle longue
เีย iaa
Voyelle courte
เือะ ua
Voyelle longue
เือ uua

Les voyelles particulières

am
ai
ai
เ_า ao

Les voyelles rares

ru/ri/roe
ฤา ruu
lu
ฦา luu
Voyelle courte
_ะ /a/
Voyelle longue
_า /aː/
Voyelle courte
/i/
Voyelle longue
/iː/
Voyelle courte
/ɯ/
Voyelle longue
ือ /ɯː/
Voyelle courte
/u/
Voyelle longue
/uː/
Voyelle courte
เ_ะ /e/
Voyelle longue
เ_ /eː/
Voyelle courte
แ_ะ /ε/
Voyelle longue
แ_ /εː/
Voyelle courte
โ_ะ /o/
Voyelle longue
โ_ /oː/
Voyelle courte
เ_าะ /ɔ/
Voyelle longue
_อ /ɔː/
Voyelle courte
เ_อะ /ɤ/
Voyelle longue
เ_อ /ɤː/

Les diphtongues

Voyelle courte
ัวะ /ua/
Voyelle longue
ัว /ua/
Voyelle courte
เียะ /ia/
Voyelle longue
เีย /ia/
Voyelle courte
เือะ /ɯa/
Voyelle longue
เือ /ɯa/

Les voyelles particulières

/am/
/aj/
/aj/
เ_า /aw/

Les voyelles rares

/rɯ/ /ri/ /rɤː/
ฤา /rɯː/
/lɯ/
ฦา /lɯː/
Voyelle courte
_ะ
Voyelle longue
_า
Voyelle courte
Voyelle longue
Voyelle courte
Voyelle longue
ือ
Voyelle courte
Voyelle longue
Voyelle courte
เ_ะ
Voyelle longue
เ_
Voyelle courte
แ_ะ
Voyelle longue
แ_
Voyelle courte
โ_ะ
Voyelle longue
โ_
Voyelle courte
เ_าะ
Voyelle longue
_อ
Voyelle courte
เ_อะ
Voyelle longue
เ_อ

Les diphtongues

Voyelle courte
ัวะ
Voyelle longue
ัว
Voyelle courte
เียะ
Voyelle longue
เีย
Voyelle courte
เือะ
Voyelle longue
เือ

Les voyelles particulières

เ_า

Les voyelles rares

ฤา
ฦา

Need a Course?
Learn Thai Alphabet

Progressive Lesson

We have broken down the Thai alphabet into several lessons so that you can learn to read and write each character.

Practical Exercise

Practice each learned letters with flashcards, memory games and word-reading exercises.

Even More

And also, stroke order, pronunciation, writing sheets. As well as summary tables, wallpapers and many more.


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