Step 1 of 7
Reading & Tones
How to read this site's romanization, plus the five tones. Read this once before you begin.
How to read the romanization
The romanization shown with Thai script is a guide to pronunciation. The marks over the vowels show the tone (how the pitch moves). A different tone can make a different word, so pay attention to the marks as you listen.
| Mark | Tones | Pitch movement | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | Mid(mid tone) | Straight and level | มา maa/maː/ (to come) | |
| à | Low(low tone) | Low and level | ไก่ gài/kàj/ (chicken) | |
| â | Falling(falling tone) | Falls from high | ข้าว khâao/kʰâːw/ (rice) | |
| á | High(high tone) | High, rising slightly | น้อง nɔ́ɔng/nɔ́ːŋ/ (younger sibling) | |
| ǎ | Rising(rising tone) | Rises from low | หมู mǔu/mǔː/ (pork) |
For example, ใกล้near (glâi, “near”) and ไกลfar (glai, “far”) differ only in tone.
Sounds to watch for
| Spelling | How to say it | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ʉ | Like “oo” in “food,” but with your lips spread instead of rounded | ซื้อto buy |
| ɔ | Like “aw” in “law,” with your mouth wide open | ขอบคุณthank you |
| ɛ | Like “a” in “cat” | แม่mother; mom |
| ə | Like “u” in “fur,” without the r sound | เจอกันใหม่see you again |
| kh, ph, th | With a strong puff of air, like “k” in “kite,” “p” in “pie,” and “t” in “tie” (th is never the sound in “this”; ph is never “f”) | ข้าวrice; meal พ่อfather; dad |
| g, p, dt | With no puff of air, like “k” in “skin,” “p” in “spin,” and “t” in “stop” | ไก่chicken ปลาfish ตลาดmarket |
| ng | Like “ng” in “sing,” but it can also begin a syllable | ง่ายeasy |
Doubled vowels such as aa, ii, uu are held longer. มาto come (maa) has a long vowel, while ไปto go (pai) is short.
Searching this site
You can type English, Thai script, or romanization into the search box. Romanization works without tone marks too (for example, khaao).
Quick quiz
Check this page with 5 questions. Choose an answer to see the result and explanation right away.
Q1What tone does “à” show in the romanization (as in gài)?
à is the low tone. Say ไก่ (gài, “chicken”) low and level.
Q2How does the pitch move on “â” in khâao (ข้าว, “rice”)?
â is the falling tone. It falls from a high pitch.
Q3Which sound has a strong puff of air?
kh, th, and ph have a strong puff of air. g, dt, and p have none.
Q4What do doubled vowels show, like “aa” in maa (มา, “to come”)?
Doubled vowels are long. maa has a long vowel, while pai is short.
Q5How do the readings of ใกล้ (glâi, “near”) and ไกล (glai, “far”) differ?
The readings differ only in tone. A different tone changes the meaning, so watch the marks.