Unit 36 · The print and keyboard toolkit · Read

The print and keyboard toolkit

Read numbers, repetition, abbreviations and rare vowel signs.

Meet the letters

Tap a card and listen. Try saying it too.

ๆIn ไม้ยมก
i

repeat the previous word or phrase. In ช้าๆ, repeat ช้า: cháa cháa.

ช้าๆHear it in ช้าๆ · ช้าๆ
ฯIn ไปยาลน้อย
i

abbreviation sign. Used after shortened names; ฯลฯ means etc.

ฯลฯHear it in ฯลฯ · ฯลฯ
฿In บาท
i

baht currency symbol

ฤIn รึ
i

rue / ri / roe, word-dependent. Traditional vowel letter found in some learned words.

ฤดู
ฤๅIn รือ
i

long ruue. Rare traditional long vowel.

ฦIn ลึ
i

lue, obsolete / rare. Recognition only.

ฦๅIn ลือ
i

long luue, obsolete / rare. Recognition only.

Words to read

ชา ๒๐ บาท

Tea, 20 bahtchhaa yîi-sìp bàat

ช้าๆ

slowlycháa cháa

ฤดู

seasonrue-duu

ฯลฯ

etc. (read as “and other things”)lae uuen uuen
Reading tips

ๆ · repeat the previous word or phrase · In ช้าๆ, repeat ช้า: cháa cháa.

ฯ · abbreviation sign · Used after shortened names; ฯลฯ means etc.

฿ · baht currency symbol

ฤ · rue / ri / roe, word-dependent · Traditional vowel letter found in some learned words.

ฤๅ · long ruue · Rare traditional long vowel.

ฦ · lue, obsolete / rare · Recognition only.

ฦๅ · long luue, obsolete / rare · Recognition only.

Everyday text uses familiar 0–9 as well as Thai digits. Learn each pair, then read a price.

ThaiFamiliar
๐0
๑1
๒2
๓3
๔4
๕5
๖6
๗7
๘8
๙9

Rare ๏, ๚ and ๛ occur in older or literary text as section/end markers. They are not letters to sound out. The long mark ๅ occurs with ฤๅ / ฦๅ; do not confuse it with ordinary า.

For typing, add a Thai keyboard (often Kedmanee) in your device settings. Type a leading vowel before the consonant; then upper/lower vowels, then a tone mark, then trailing vowels/finals as the spelling requires. For น้ำ: น + ้ + ำ. Our on-screen keys let you try the same sequence.

Reading practice

Hear the signs

Listen, then match the sign. The helper vowel belongs to the letter clip.

Hear the signs

Listen, then match the sign. The helper vowel belongs to the letter clip.

Hear the words

Listen to a whole word. Match its printed spelling.

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

Spelling to sound

Read the whole word. Choose its sound.

ชา ๒๐ บาท

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

Spelling to sound

Read the whole word. Choose its sound.

ช้าๆ

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

Spelling to sound

Read the whole word. Choose its sound.

ฤดู

Sound to spelling

Listen. Choose the word you studied.

Spelling to sound

Read the whole word. Choose its sound.

ฯลฯ

Read the price.

๒๐

What does ๆ ask you to do?

ช้าๆ

Choose the correct printed water spelling.

Listen and write

Listen and write every sign in its printed order.

Listen and write

Listen and write every sign in its printed order.

Listen and write

Listen and write every sign in its printed order.

A short return

Listen to an earlier word. Choose its spelling.

Finish practice to save this unit.

You can read and write this

Read numbers, repetition, abbreviations and rare vowel signs.

Next unit

ชา ๒๐ บาท

Tea, 20 baht

ช้าๆ

slowly

ฤดู

season

ฯลฯ

etc. (read as “and other things”)

All letters

ก
i

k. Plain k, with little puff, like k after s in sky.

กา
ม
i

m

มา
าIn อา
i

aa. A long open a; it sits after the consonant.

กามา
ต
i

t. Plain t, with little puff of air.

ตา
น
i

n

นานาน
จ
i

ch / tɕ. A plain joined ch sound, little puff.

จา
ด
i

d

ดา
บ
i

b

บา
ป
i

p. Plain p, little puff.

ปา
อ
i

vowel carrier / ʔ. Carries an initial vowel; can also be part of a vowel spelling.

อา
◌ิIn อิ
i

i. Short i, above the consonant.

กิน
◌ีIn อี
i

ii. Long i, above the consonant.

มีดี
◌ุIn อุ
i

u. Short u, below the consonant.

ดุ
◌ูIn อู
i

uu. Long uu, below the consonant.

ดูปู
ะIn อะ
i

a, short open syllable. Written after the consonant; an open short vowel ends with a throat closure.

กะนะ
◌ัIn อัก
i

a, before a final consonant. Above the consonant, used for short a in closed syllables.

มัน
เIn เอ
i

ee, in เ–. Written before the consonant, spoken after it.

เกม
แIn แอ
i

aeae, in แ–. Long open vowel like a broad a in cat.

แมว
โIn โอ
i

oo, in โ–. Long o.

โต
ว
i

w. A w sound; it can also close a syllable as a glide.

แมว
ไIn ไอ
i

ai, in ไ–. Sounds like eye.

ไป
ใIn ไอ
i

ai, in ใ–. Same vowel sound as ไ; spelling must be learned with the word.

ใน
ำIn อำ
i

am. A vowel plus final m; typed after the consonant.

ดำ
เ–าIn เอา
i

ao. The two vowel pieces surround the initial consonant.

เอา
ข
i

kh. k with a puff.

ขา
ฉ
i

chh / tɕʰ. Airy joined ch sound.

ฉา
ถ
i

th. t with a puff, never English th.

ถาม
ผ
i

ph. p with a puff, never f.

ผี
ฝ
i

f

ฝา
ส
i

s

สี
ห
i

h

หา
ค
i

kh

คา
ช
i

chh / tɕʰ

ชา
ท
i

th

ทา
พ
i

ph

พา
ฟ
i

f

ฟา
ซ
i

s

ซา
ฮ
i

h

ฮา
ง
i

ng. As at the end of sing; Thai also allows it at the start.

งู
ย
i

y

ยา
ร
i

r. A tap or trill; often l in casual speech.

รำ
ล
i

l

ลืม
◌ึIn อึ
i

ue / ɯ. Short high vowel: say oo with unrounded lips.

ดึง
◌ือIn อือ
i

uue / ɯː, in –ือ. Long unrounded vowel; open syllables include อ.

มือ
–อIn ออ
i

aw-aw / ɔː. Long open o; อ is part of the vowel here.

ขอเยอะ
เ–อะIn เออะ
i

oe / ɤ, short. A short central vowel, unrounded.

เยอะ
เ–อIn เออ
i

oe-oe / ɤː. The long central vowel.

เยอะ
◌็In ไม้ไต่คู้
i

shortener. Makes certain vowel patterns short; it is not a tone mark.

เด็กHear it in เด็ก · เด็ก
เ–ียIn เอีย
i

ia, long. A long diphthong; look at both sides of the initial.

เสียเมีย
เ–ียะIn เอียะ
i

ia, short. The short partner ends with ะ.

เ–ือIn เอือ
i

uea, long. A long diphthong starting with the unrounded vowel.

เรือ
เ–ือะIn เอือะ
i

uea, short. The short partner.

–ัวIn อัว
i

ua, long. Long ua; before a final the ั drops: –ว–.

ตัว
–ัวะIn อัวะ
i

ua, short. The short partner.

◌่In ไม้เอก
i

mai ek: class-dependent tone. Mid/high → low; low class → falling.

ก่าHear it in ก่า · ก่า
◌้In ไม้โท
i

mai tho: class-dependent tone. Mid/high → falling; low class → high.

ก้าHear it in ก้า · ก้า
◌๊In ไม้ตรี
i

mai tri: high tone. Normally with mid-class initials.

ก๊าHear it in ก๊า · ก๊า
◌๋In ไม้จัตวา
i

mai chattawa: rising tone. Normally with mid-class initials.

ก๋าHear it in ก๋า · ก๋า
◌์In ทัณฑฆาต
i

cancellation mark. Marks silent letters; sometimes a group is silent.

จันทร์Hear it in จันทร์ · จันทร์
◌ฺIn พินทุ
i

phinthu. A dot below, chiefly in Pali/Sanskrit or pronunciation guides; uncommon in everyday Thai.

ฎ
i

d. Same initial sound as ด.

ฏ
i

t. Same initial sound as ต.

ฐ
i

th

ศ
i

s

ษ
i

s

ภาษา
ฃ
i

kh. Obsolete in ordinary modern spelling; recognise only.

ฆ
i

kh

ฌ
i

chh / tɕʰ

ญ
i

y. Final sound is n.

ฑ
i

th, sometimes d. Word-dependent: check the pronunciation.

ฅ
i

kh. Obsolete in ordinary modern spelling; recognise only.

ฒ
i

th

ณ
i

n

คุณ
ธ
i

th

ภ
i

ph

ภาษา
ฬ
i

l

ๆIn ไม้ยมก
i

repeat the previous word or phrase. In ช้าๆ, repeat ช้า: cháa cháa.

ช้าๆHear it in ช้าๆ · ช้าๆ
ฯIn ไปยาลน้อย
i

abbreviation sign. Used after shortened names; ฯลฯ means etc.

ฯลฯHear it in ฯลฯ · ฯลฯ
฿In บาท
i

baht currency symbol

ฤIn รึ
i

rue / ri / roe, word-dependent. Traditional vowel letter found in some learned words.

ฤดู
ฤๅIn รือ
i

long ruue. Rare traditional long vowel.

ฦIn ลึ
i

lue, obsolete / rare. Recognition only.

ฦๅIn ลือ
i

long luue, obsolete / rare. Recognition only.