Thai Script Learner & Practice Tool
Thai Consonants (พยัญชนะไทย)
There are 44 consonants in Thai, divided into three classes (Mid, High, Low) which affect the tone of a syllable. Some consonants are obsolete or rarely used.
Thai Vowels (สระไทย)
Thai vowels are complex as they can appear before, after, above, or below a consonant, or combine to form diphthongs. Many have short and long sound pairs.
Tone Marks (วรรณยุกต์)
Thai is a tonal language with 5 tones: Mid, Low, Falling, High, and Rising. The tone of a syllable is determined by its consonant class, vowel length (short/long), ending sound, and any of the 4 tone marks below.
Understanding full tone rules is complex and beyond the scope of this introductory tool. This section helps you recognize the marks.
Thai Numerals (เลขไทย)
Practice Quiz
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About the Thai Script (อักษรไทย - Akson Thai)
The Thai script is an abugida (or alphasyllabary), where consonants have an inherent vowel sound (typically 'a' or 'o'). Vowels are indicated by diacritical marks that can appear above, below, before, or after the consonant they modify.
Key Characteristics:
- Consonants: There are 44 traditional consonant characters. They are divided into three classes:
- Mid Class (อักษรกลาง - akson klang): 9 consonants. They have a mid-tone with a live syllable and can take all four tone marks to produce all five tones.
- High Class (อักษรสูง - akson sung): 11 consonants. They have an inherent rising tone with a live syllable.
- Low Class (อักษรต่ำ - akson tam): 24 consonants. They have an inherent mid-tone with a live syllable (like mid-class), but tone marks affect them differently than on mid/high class consonants. The low class is further divided into "single" (เดี่ยว) and "paired" (คู่) low consonants.
- Vowels: There are around 32 vowel forms, including short/long pairs and diphthongs (combinations of vowel sounds). Their placement relative to the consonant is crucial.
- Tones: Thai is a tonal language with five phonemic tones: Mid, Low, Falling, High, and Rising. The same syllable spoken with a different tone can have a completely different meaning. The tone is determined by a combination of:
- The class of the initial consonant.
- The type of syllable (live/dead - ending in a long vowel/sonorant vs. a short vowel/stop consonant).
- The vowel length (short or long).
- The presence and type of one of the four tone marks ( `่` , `้` , `๊` , `๋` ).
- Reading Direction: Thai is written and read from left to right, with no spaces traditionally used between words (spaces usually indicate the end of a phrase or sentence).
- No Case: Thai script does not have uppercase or lowercase letters.
- Numerals: Thai has its own set of numerals (เลขไทย - lek thai), although Arabic numerals are also commonly used.
Learning Thai script, especially the tone rules, requires significant practice and exposure. This tool provides a basic introduction to the characters and some core concepts. For deeper learning, consider using comprehensive textbooks, courses, and language exchange with native speakers.