ฉ

Thai letter cho ching (ฉ)

High-class consonant 9 of 44. It is written ฉ ฉิ่ง in full, the way Thai children learn it, and sounds like "ch" at the start of a syllable.

Class high Initial ch Final not used
ฉ cho ching

Remember it

Two small cymbals clinking together at the top.

Thai children learn the letter by its full name, ฉ ฉิ่ง cho ching, picture and all. Say the whole thing and the shape comes with it.

What its class does to the tone

High class cannot take mai tri or mai chattawa, and an unmarked live syllable comes out rising rather than mid. These three lines cover most of what you will meet, and they hold for ฉ exactly as they do for every other high-class letter.

live syllable, no mark rising tone ขา khǎa Leg
with mai ek low tone ไข่ khài Egg
with mai tho falling tone ข้าว khâo Rice

The examples are whichever high-class word shows the rule most clearly. The full grid for all three classes is here.

Letters that sound the same

4 letters, one sound. Which one a word uses is spelling history rather than pronunciation, so these are learned as part of the word.

Easy to mix up with

Each pair differs by one stroke, and each mistake changes the word.

ฉข
ฉ and ข kho khaiข has no spur on the right.

Words that use it

Every line here is one you will meet again in a lesson. Press play to hear it.

ฉิ่งchìng
cymbals
ฉันchǎn
I / me (informal)
ฉ่ำchàm
Juicy
ฉานchǎan
Southern for I or me
เฉยๆchǒey chǒey
So-so / neutral
ฉลองchà-lǒrng
To celebrate
ดิฉันdì chǎn
I (female, formal)
ฉีดยาchèet yaa
Injection
Changdee, a Sabai Thai companion
วันละตัวก็พอ wan la tua ko phoOne letter a day is enough

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