Words with Irregular Pronunciation
The spelling of Thai words in the Thai alphabet is generally more regular than the spelling of
English words with the English alphabet. That is, if you know the pronunciation rules of Thai
you can pronounce most Thai words correctly from their spelling. However, the following exceptions
should be noted.
1. Variation in Vowel Duration
Some Thai words are pronounced with a short-duration vowel although the Thai spelling would seem
to indicate a long-duration. This most often occurs with words that use the vowel เ-- along with any
written tone mark:
Thai word | Implied | Actual | Definition |
เก่ง | gaengL | gengL | [is] skilled; talented; superbly performed; skillful; clever |
เข่ง | khaengL | khengL | a basketwork crate typically used to package fish |
เข่น | khaenL | khenL | to beat or pound upon; to hit |
เด้ง | daaengF | dengF | to bounce; spring; bound; leap |
เร่ | raaeF | rehF | to hawk or peddle |
เล่น | laaenF | lenF | to play; have fun; enjoy; amuse; jest; have fun on the Internet |
เล่ม | laaemF | lemF | [of a book] a volume |
เว้น | waaenH | wenH | to exclude; omit; skip over |
เฉ่ง | chaengL | chengL | to pay off; to settle; to settle debts; to pay the money due; to meet liabilities |
เช้ง | chaaengH | chengH | [is] showy; elaborately dressed |
Also, when the
ไม้เอก tone mark appears in a live syllable with
แ-- and a mid- or high-class initial, the syllable has a
short vowel sound. Examples:
แต่ง ,
แห่ง ,
แกว่ง .
There are yet other cases of short-duration pronunciation. In some of these (i.e.
น้ำ), the syllable may be pronounced
short when
followed by at least one syllable in compound words, and
long in isolation or in final position.
Thai word | Implied | Actual | Definition |
กระเช้า | graL chaaoH | graL chaoH | basket of bamboo or rattan |
ค้ำ | khaamH | khamH | to hold up; to prop up; to uphold; to support |
เงิน | ngeernM | ngernM | money; finance; silver |
เจิ่ง | jeerngL | jerngL | to flood; to overflow; to inundate |
ช่าง | chaangF | changF | engineer; artisan; mechanic; craftsman; specialist; repairman; barber |
ช้ำ | chaamH | chamH | bruise |
ซ้ำ | saamH | samH | [is] repeated; recurrent |
ต้อง | dtaawngF | dtawngF | [auxiliary verb] has to...; must...; is required to...; is duty-bound to... |
ท่าน | thaanF | thanF | [a respectful 2nd or 3rd person singular pronoun] you; he; she; him; her; they; them |
น้ำ | naamH | namH | water; fluid; liquid |
บริการ | bawL riH gaanM | bawL riH ganM | to serve, help, assist, support, service |
เพชร | phaehtF | phetH | diamond |
เพชรบูรณ์ | phaH chaehnM buunM | phetH chaH buunM | Phetchabun, a province in northeastern Thailand with a 1995 population of 1,026,137 (rank 17 of 76) |
ย่อง | yaawngF | yawngF | to tiptoe |
ล่อกแล่ก | laawkF laaekF | lawkF laekF | [is] restless; uncertain; shifty; roving |
ล้ำ | laamH | lamH | extremely; very; exceptionally; surpassing; superior |
เว้า | waaoH | waoH | [is] concave; caved-in; indented |
The following words are pronounced with a long-duration vowel although the Thai spelling would seem
to indicate a short-duration.
Thai word | Implied | Actual | Definition |
เก้า | gaoF | gaaoF | nine; the number or quantity nine |
คาเฟอิน | khaaM faehM inM | khaaM faehM eenM | [Thai transcription of the foreign loanword] caffeine |
จระเข้ | jaL raH khehF | jaawM raH khaehF | alligator; crocodile |
จะเข้ | jaL khehF | jaL khaehF | crocodile |
ได้ | daiF | daaiF | can; to be able; is able; am able; may; might [auxiliary of potential, denoting possbility, ability, or permission] |
ตะเข้ | dtaL khehF | dtaL khaehF | crocodile |
เปล่า | bplaoL | bplaaoL | [is] void, empty, naked, nothing, plain (lacking adornment or ornamentation; unembellished) |
ไม้ | maiH | maaiH | wood; woods; forest; stick; rod |
ลิซ่า | liH saaF | leeM saaF | Lisa [an English given name] |
ว้าเหว่ | waaH wehL | waaH waehL | [is] lonely; forlorn; friendless; to feel lonesome |
เสน่ห์ | saL nehL | saL naehL | charm; appeal; attraction; charisma; glamour |
เหว่ | wehL | waehL | solitary; lonely; deserted |
Thai word | Implied | Actual | Definition |
เขา | khaoR | khaoH | [3rd person singular or plural pronoun] he; she; him; her; they; them |
ฉัน | chanR | chanH | [used by females in an informal setting—also used by males with intimate friends or lovers] I, me, my |
ไหม | maiR | maiH | [word added at the end of a statement to indicate a question; "right?"] |
หนังสือ | nangR seuuR | nangH seuuR | book; document; letters; alphabet; printed document; written document |
3. Consonant Omission
In some words, a consonant, often /l/ or /r/, may be dropped from a cluster in pronunciation by some speakers.
Thai word | Implied | Actual | Definition |
ครับ | khrapH | khapH | [word added by a male speaker to the end of every sentence to convey politeness or] "yes"; "that's right"; "I see." |
ปลา | bplaaM | bpaaM | fish |
ครับผม | khrapH phohmR | khapH phohmR | [spoken politely by a male] yes |
กลับ | glapL | gapL | to return or go back |
4. Consonant Clusters Expressed as Syllables
In some words, the entire initial syllable or prefix may act as if it were the first consonant in a cluster.
This initial syllable thus determines the tone of the second syllable, in the manner described
in
Inside a Thai Syllable: Part I and
Inside a Thai Syllable: Part II.
Thai word | Implied | Actual | Definition |
ประมาท | bpraL maatF | bpraL maatL | [is] careless; remiss; negligent; overconfident |
ประโยค | bpraL yo:hkF | bpraL yo:hkL | [Thai grammar] a sentence |
ประโยชน์ | bpraL yo:htF | bpraL yo:htL | benefit; use; usefulness |
ประวัติ | bpraL watH | bpraL watL | history; record; story; account; chronicle |
ดำรัส | damM ratH | damM ratL | royal words; royal remark; royal observation royal speech |
ดำริ | damM riH | damM riL | [Royal use only] to think |
ตำรวจ | dtamM ruaatF | dtamM ruaatL | a policeman; cop |
ตำรับ | dtamM rapH | dtamM rapL | a recipe, a formula; a treatise; a pharmacopeia, a prescription |
สิริ | siL riH | siL riL | fortune; grace; luck |
อดิเรก | aL diL raehkF | aL diL raehkL | hobby |
กิเลส | giL laehtF | giL laehtL | lust; evil wish; desire; longing; greed; avarice; rapacity |
หิริ | hiL riH | hiL riL | shame; modesty; bashfulness |
ดิลก | diL lohkH | diL lohkL | mark; powdered spot on the forehead; ornament; forehead ornament |
อริ | aL riH | aL riL | enemy; foe |
บำราบ | bamM raapF | bamM raapL | to overcome; intimidate |
กำราบ | gamM raapF | gamM raapL | to suppress; subdue; intimidate; tame; subjugate |
กำเนิด | gamM neertF | gamM neertL | [formal, written Thai] to be born; to bring forth |