| Consonants
|
| IPA |
Thai alphabet |
Tai Tham |
English approximation
|
| b
|
บ |
 |
abash
|
| d
|
ฎ, ด |
 |
ado
|
| f
|
ฝ, ฟ |
 , |
food
|
| h
|
ห, ฮ |
 , , |
head
|
| j
|
ย, อย, หย |
 |
yak
|
| k
|
ก |
 , |
scan
|
| kʰ
|
ข, ฃ, ค, ฅ, ฆ |
 , , , |
car
|
| l
|
ล, ฬ, หล |
 ,, |
leaf
|
| m
|
ม, หม |
 |
much
|
| n
|
ณ, น, หน |
 , |
not
|
| ŋ
|
ง, หง |
 |
bang
|
| ɲ
|
ญ |
 , |
canyon
|
| p
|
ป |
 , |
span
|
| pʰ
|
ผ, พ, ภ |
 , |
pan
|
| r
|
ร, หร |
|
Trilled right
|
| s
|
ฉ, ช, ฌ, ซ, ศ, ษ, ส |
 , , , , , |
sue
|
| t
|
ฏ, ต |
 , , |
stable
|
| tʰ
|
ฐ, ฑ, ฒ, ถ, ท, ธ |
 , , , |
table
|
| tɕ
|
จ |
 , |
question
|
| w
|
ว, หว |
 |
way
|
| x[1]
|
ข, ฃ, ค, ฅ, ฆ |
,,, |
Scottish loch
|
| ʔ
|
อ, ะ |
 , |
the catch in uh-oh
|
|
|
| Tones
|
| IPA |
Description
|
| aː = āː
|
mid [aː˧]
|
| àː
|
low falling [aː˨˩] or [aː˩]
|
| âː
|
high falling [aː˥˩]
|
| a᷇ː
|
high-mid falling [aː˥˧]
|
| áː
|
high rising [aː˦˥] or[aː˥]
|
| ǎː
|
low rising [aː˨˥]
|
|
| Vowels
|
| IPA |
Thai Alphabet[2] |
Tai Tham script |
English approximation
|
| Short vowels
|
| a
|
◌ะ, ◌ั◌ |
,  |
cat
|
| e
|
เ◌ะ, เ◌็◌ |
 ◌, |
roughly like say
|
| ɛ
|
แ◌ะ, แ◌็◌ |
 ◌, |
roughly like bet
|
| i
|
◌ิ, ◌ิ◌ |
 ,  |
happy
|
| o
|
โ◌ะ, ◌◌ |
 ◌, |
story
|
| ɔ
|
เ◌าะ, ◌็อ◌ |
 |
off
|
| u
|
◌ุ, ◌ุ◌ |
 , |
fool (shorter)
|
| ɯ
|
◌ึ, ◌ึ◌ |
 |
good
|
| ɤ
|
เ◌อะ |
 |
roughly like hurt (shorter)
|
| Long vowels
|
| aː
|
◌า, ◌า◌ |
 , |
bra
|
| eː
|
เ◌, เ◌◌ |
◌, |
play
|
| ɛː
|
แ◌, แ◌◌ |
◌ |
fairy
|
| iː
|
◌ี, ◌ี◌ |
 |
green
|
| oː
|
โ◌, โ◌◌ |
◌,◌ |
story
|
| ɔː
|
◌อ, ◌อ◌ |
 , |
dog
|
| uː
|
◌ู, ◌ู, |
 |
fool
|
| ɯː
|
◌ือ, ◌ื◌ |
 |
good (longer)
|
| ɤː
|
เ◌อ, เ◌ิ◌ |
|
roughly like fur
|
| Diphthongs
|
| iaʔ, iəʔ
|
เ◌ียะ |
 |
No English equivalent
|
| ia, iə
|
เ◌ีย, เ◌ีย◌ |
 |
idea
|
| uaʔ, uəʔ
|
◌ัวะ |
 |
No English equivalent
|
| ua, uə
|
◌ัว, ◌ว◌ |
|
poor (British English)
|
| ɯaʔ, ɯəʔ
|
เ◌ือะ |
|
No English equivalent
|
| ɯa, ɯə
|
เ◌ือ, เ◌ือ◌ |
|
No English equivalent
|
|
