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About Thai Consonants Chart

Would like to know which are the consonants in Thai language? In articulatory phonetics, a Thai consonant is a speech sound which is articulated with full as well as partial closure within the vocal tract. The term consonant can be used to refer to a letter of a Thai alphabet which implies a consonant sound. Learn More





Thai Consonants Chart

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Thai Consonants in Alphabet

Thai distinguishes between aspirated ("with a puff of air") and unaspirated ("without a puff of air") consonants. Unaspirated consonants exist in English too, but never alone: compare the sound of 'p' in "pot" (aspirated) and "spot" (unaspirated). Many English speakers find it helpful to pronounce an imperceptible little "m" in front to 'stop' the puff.
In Thai romanized with the Royal Thai General System (used on Wikitravel), the distinction is usually represented by writing aspirated consonants with "h" and unaspirated ones without it. In particular, "ph" represents a hard aspirated 'p' and not a soft 'f', and Phuket is thus pronounced "Poo-ket". Likewise, "th" is a hard aspirated 't' and hence Thailand is pronounced "Tie-land".
Other systems of romanization may use 'bp', 'dt' and 'g' for the unaspirated sounds, and 'p', 't', and 'k' for the aspirated sounds. This is not used in this guide.
b บlike 'b' in "bed"
bpnot used here, but in other romanizations may represent unaspirated 'p'
ch ฉ ช ฌlike 'ch' in "chop"
d ฎ ดlike 'd' in "dog"
dtnot used here, but in other romanizations may represent unaspirated 't'
f ฝ ฟlike 'f' in "fun"
gnot used here, but in other romanizations may represent unaspirated 'k'
h ห ฮlike 'h' in "help"
j จlike 'j' or 'dg' in "judge"
k กlike 'k' in "skate" (unaspirated)
kh ข ฃ ค ฅ ฆlike 'c' in "Kate" (aspirated)
l ล ฦ ฬlike 'l' in "love"
m มlike 'm' in "mother"
n ณ นlike 'n' in "nice"
ng งlike 'ng' in "sing", but can also be used at the beginning of words
p ปlike 'p' in "spit" (unaspirated)
ph ผ พ ภlike 'p' in "pit" (aspirated)
r ร ฤvery light 'r', often pronounced as 'l' or omitted entirely
s ซ ศ ษ สlike 'ss' in "hiss",
t ฏ ตlike 't' in "stop"
th ฐ ฑ ฒ ถ ท ธlike 't' in "top"
vnot used here, but in other romanizations may represent 'w'
w วlike 'w' in "weight"
y ญ ยlike 'y' in "yes"

Thai Diphthongs in Alphabet


Click on the hyperlinks directly below to see a list of helpful Thai travel words which you’ll find sorted by theme. For every holiday word or phrase in Thai, there’ll be the English translation.


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