อ

Thai letter o aang (อ)

Mid-class consonant 43 of 44. It is written อ อ่าง in full, the way Thai children learn it, and sounds like "" at the start of a syllable.

Class mid Initial Final not used
อ o aang

Remember it

A basin or tub - also serves as the vowel placeholder in Thai script.

Thai children learn the letter by its full name, อ อ่าง o aang, picture and all. Say the whole thing and the shape comes with it.

What its class does to the tone

Mid class is the smallest group and the only one that can take all four tone marks. With no mark it gives a mid tone on a live syllable and a low tone on a dead one. These three lines cover most of what you will meet, and they hold for อ exactly as they do for every other mid-class letter.

live syllable, no mark mid tone กา gaa
dead syllable, no mark low tone กด gòt
with mai ek low tone จ่าย jài

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

Letters that sound the same

Nothing else makes this sound. อ is the only letter that gives "" at the start of a syllable, which is worth knowing before you meet the letters that do share one.

Easy to mix up with

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

อฮ
อ and ฮ ho nok-hukฮ is อ with a hook on its right shoulder, and it is pronounced h.
อธ
อ and ธ tho thongธ has a flat lid across the top.

Words that use it

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

อ่างàang
basin / bathtub
อยู่yòo
to be (located)
ขอkhǒr
May I have / please
คอkhor
Neck
ไอai
Cough
อาaa
Aunt or uncle (a father's younger sibling)
งอngor
To bend
สองsǒrng
Two
พ่อphôr
Father
อันan
Classifier for general objects

Where it turns up in the course

1434 course words use อ

Learn อ early and these are the chapters it pays off in first.

Changdee, a Sabai Thai companion
วันละตัวก็พอ wan la tua ko phoOne letter a day is enough

Drill all 68 characters in the app

Listening and recall drills, with audio on every character.

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