Thai Alphabet – Learning the 44 Thai Consonants!

Thai alphabet - learning Thai consonants

Thai Alphabet – 44 Consonants

 

Writing and reading are both main skills in learning a language. However, many people skipped them and put their focus on speaking and listening skills for a short visit to Thailand. Many people can of course learn speaking & listening without knowing the alphabet too, but please bear in mind Thai Romanization isn’t always consistent… So if you want to learn Thai in long term, learning Thai alphabet can open many new doors to immerse yourself in Thailand and make your learning Thai journey much easier!

 

Thai alphabet or Thai script (อักษรไทย /àk-sŏn tai/) has 44 consonants (พยัญชนะ /pá-yan-chá-ná/) and 32 vowels (สระ /sà-rà/). The vowel can be grouped as short vowels (สระเสียงสั้น /sà-rà-sĭang-sân/) and long vowels (สระเสียงยาว /sà-rà-sĭang-yaao/). In addition, Thai language also has special characters and 4 tone marks.

 

Here is a complete list of 44 Thai consonants

 

Thai Consonant

Thai Name

Romanization (Consonant)

Romanization (Name)

English name (Meaning)

Initial sound

Final sound

Class

ไก่ Gor Gai Chicken g- -k Mid

ไข่ Kor Kai Egg k- -k High

*ฃ

ขวด Kor Kuuat Bottle k- -k High

ควาย Kor Kwaai Buffalo k- -k Low

*ฅ

คน Kor Kon Person/People k- -k Low

ระฆัง Kor Ra-kang Bell k- -k Low

งู Ngor Ngoo Snake ng- -ng Low

จาน Jor Jaan Plate/Dish j- -t Mid

ฉิ่ง Chor Ching Cymbals ch- – (N/A) High

ช้าง Chor Chaang Elephant ch- -t Low

โซ่ Sor Soh Chain s- -t (-s) Low

เฌอ Chor Cher Tree ch- -t Low

หญิง Yor Ying Woman y- -n Low

ชฎา Dor Cha-daa Thai headdress d- -t Mid

ปฏัก Dtor Bpa-dtak Goad dt- -t Mid

ฐาน Tor Taan Base t- -t High

มณโฑ Tor Mon-toh Mandodari t- -t Low

ผู้เฒ่า Tor Poo-tao Elder t- -t Low

เณร Nor Nayn Novice monk n- -n Low

เด็ก Dor Dek Kid/Child d- -t Mid

เต่า Dtor Dtao Turtle dt- -t Mid

ถุง Tor Tung Sack/Bag t- -t High

ทหาร Tor Ta-haan Soldier t- -t Low

ธง Tor Tong Flag t- -t Low

หนู Nor Noo Mouse/Rat n- -n Low

ใบไม้ Bor Bai-mai Leaf b- -p Mid

ปลา Bpor Bplaa Fish bp- -p Mid

ผึ้ง Por Pueng Bee p- – (N/A) High

ฝา For Faa Lid f- – (N/A) High

พาน Por Paan Offering tray p- -p Low

ฟัน For Fan Teeth f- -p Low

สำเภา Por Sam-pao Sailing boat p- -p Low

ม้า Mor Maa Horse m- -m Low

ยักษ์ Yor Yak Giant y- -i Low

เรือ Ror Ruea Boat r- -n Low

ลิง Lor Ling Monkey l- -n Low

แหวน Wor Waen Ring w- -o Low

ศาลา Sor Saa-laa Pavillion s- -t High

ฤาษี Sor Rue-see Hermit s- -t High

เสือ Sor Suea Tiger s- -t High

หีบ Hor Heep Chest h- – (N/A) High

จุฬา Lor Ju-laa Star-shaped kite l- – (N/A) Low

อ่าง Aor Aang Basin – (N/A) – (N/A) Mid

นกฮูก Hor Nok-hook Owl h- – (N/A) Low

Note: *ฅ (kor kon) and *ฃ (kor kuuat) are no longer used, even the words คน (kon ‘person’) and ขวด (kuuat ‘bottle’) are spelled with other K.

 

DOWNLOAD FREE PDF HERE


Need more help?

 

If you are still struggling with trying to learn how to read and write Thai by yourself but not successful yet, please check out my Read Thai in 2 Weeks intensive course! I can help you master all you need for reading & writing: consonants, vowels, special characters, tone marks, tone rules and exceptions!

 

Learning Thai isn’t as complicated as it seems. With the right way to learn, you can learn how to read and write Thai successfully! I hope to see you soon. 🙂

 

See all the Thai lesson packages

 

 

Jennesa
administrator
Hi, I'm Jennesa - a native Thai teacher. I provide creative learning methods with the goal of making student's learning progress as effective as possible.

Comments

  • Bhie Thai Tutor
    May 29, 2024

    This article is highly informative and extremely beneficial for individuals learning Thai, such as myself.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *