Sabai Sound
The five Thai tone marks
Four written marks and the absence of one. A mark never gives a tone by itself. It combines with the consonant's class, which is why the same mark can mean two different tones.
◌
no mark
ไม่มีวรรณยุกต์No tone mark - tone determined by consonant class and vowel length.
◌่
mai ek
ไม้เอกMai Ek (first tone mark) - generally lowers the tone.
◌้
mai tho
ไม้โทMai Tho (second tone mark) - generally raises or lowers the tone.
◌๊
mai tri
ไม้ตรีMai Tri (third tone mark) - produces a high tone.
◌๋
mai jattawa
ไม้จัตวาMai Jattawa (fourth tone mark) - produces a rising tone.
One example word for each
มาmaa
to comeไม่mâi
not / noน้ำnám
waterเก๊าgáo
old (slang)ห๋าhǎa
(emphatic form)What a mark does to a word depends entirely on the consonant in front of it. That is the rest of the rule.
ฟังก่อน แล้วค่อยพูด
fang kon, laeo khoi phuutListen first, then speak
Tone practice with a mic, in the app
Free, like the other 33 chapters.
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