Read Thai
Thai vowels: every form, short and long
In the tables, – marks where the consonant goes. The with อ column shows the vowel on อ, the silent letter Thais use to write a vowel on its own. “Family style” is the romanization our app uses: long a, i and u are doubled (aa, ii, uu); RTGS doesn’t show length.
Simple vowels, short and long
| Form | With อ | Length | Sound (IPA) | RTGS | Family style | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| –ะ / –ั– | อะ | short | /a/ | a | a | นะ na soft “okay?” ending |
| –า | อา | long | /aː/ | a | aa | มา maa come |
| –ิ | อิ | short | /i/ | i | i | สิ si go on, do it (softener) |
| –ี | อี | long | /iː/ | i | ii | ดี dii good |
| –ึ | อึ | short | /ɯ/ | ue | ue | ถึง thueng arrive; to |
| –ือ / –ื– | อือ | long | /ɯː/ | ue | ue | ชื่อ chue name |
| –ุ | อุ | short | /u/ | u | u | คุณ khun you (polite) |
| –ู | อู | long | /uː/ | u | uu | หนู nuu I (child to elder); mouse |
| เ–ะ / เ–็– | เอะ | short | /e/ | e | e | เผ็ด phet spicy |
| เ– | เอ | long | /eː/ | e | e (eh at the end of a word) | เวลา we-laa time |
| แ–ะ / แ–็– | แอะ | short | /ɛ/ | ae | ae | แข็ง khaeng hard, strong |
| แ– | แอ | long | /ɛː/ | ae | ae | แม่ mae mum |
| โ–ะ | โอะ | short | /o/ | o | o | คน khon person (no vowel written: a hidden o) |
| โ– | โอ | long | /oː/ | o | o (oh at the end of a word) | โต toh grow up |
| เ–าะ / –็อ– | เอาะ | short | /ɔ/ | o | or | ก็ gor so, then, also |
| –อ | ออ | long | /ɔː/ | o | or | พ่อ phor dad |
| เ–อะ | เออะ | short | /ɤ/ | oe | er | เยอะ yer a lot |
| เ–อ / เ–ิ– | เออ | long | /ɤː/ | oe | er | เธอ ther you, she (friendly) |
Diphthongs
| Form | With อ | Length | Sound (IPA) | RTGS | Family style | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| เ–ีย | เอีย | long | /ia/ | ia | ia | เรียก riak call (by a name) |
| เ–ือ | เอือ | long | /ɯa/ | uea | uea | เมือง mueang town, country |
| –ัว / –ว– | อัว | long | /ua/ | ua | ua | ตัว tua body; self |
Special vowels
| Form | With อ | Length | Sound (IPA) | RTGS | Family style | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| –ำ | อำ | short | /am/ | am | am | ทำ tham do, make |
| ไ– | ไอ | short | /aj/ | ai | ai | ไป pai go |
| ใ– | ใอ | short | /aj/ | ai | ai | ใจ jai heart, mind |
| เ–า | เอา | short | /aw/ | ao | ao | เขา khao he, she, they |
| ฤ | ฤ | varies | /rɯ, ri, rɤː/ | rue, ri, roe | rue (ri or rer in some words) | ฤดู rue-duu season |
Vowels with a w or y glide
A final ย or ว doesn’t add a consonant; it bends the vowel into a glide. These come up constantly in family words.
| Form | Example | RTGS | Family style | Means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| –าย | ยาย | yai | yaai | grandma (mum’s mum) |
| –าว | ข้าว | khao | khaao | rice, a meal |
| –อย | อร่อย | aroi | a-roi | delicious |
| –วย | ด้วย | duai | duai | too, with |
| เ–ย | เลย | loei | loei | at all, really |
| แ–ว | แล้ว | laeo | laew | already |
| –ิว | หิว | hio | hiu | hungry |
| เ–ียว | เดียว | diao | diao | single, only one |
| –ุย | คุย | khui | khui | chat |
Hidden vowels
When no vowel is written, Thai reads one anyway: a short o between two consonants (คน khon) or a short a after a consonant standing alone, as in the first syllable of สบาย (sa-baai). This is the main reason sounding out an unfamiliar word can go wrong, and why our romanizer uses a dictionary first.
Questions people ask
How many vowels does Thai have?
Thai writes 32 vowel sounds with 21 vowel signs. Most simple vowels come in a short and a long version, and vowel length can change the meaning of a word: ยาย (yaai, grandma) has a long vowel, ใหญ่ (yai, big) a short one.
Why do some Thai vowels come before the consonant?
The vowels เ แ โ ใ ไ are written in front of the consonant but said after it. So ไป is read p + ai, pai. Always find the consonant first, then read the vowel around it.
What if there is no vowel written at all?
Then a hidden vowel is read: a short o between two consonants (คน, khon) or a short a after a consonant on its own, as in the first syllable of สบาย (sa-baai).
What is the difference between ไ and ใ?
None in sound: both are ai. ใ (mai muan) is used in only about twenty words, such as ใจ (heart) and ใหม่ (new); ไ (mai malai) is used everywhere else.
Sources
All links read on .
- Wikipedia: Thai script, Vowels (forms, IPA, RTGS)
- Wikipedia: Royal Thai General System of Transcription (vowel table)
- Omniglot: Thai alphabet, pronunciation and language
Letter names, sounds, classes and tone rules follow the standard references above. The Thai on these pages is a draft until a native speaker has reviewed it. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.