Pronunciation

The Thai letter ◌ึ is a vowel symbol, it represents the /ɯ/ sound. This sound is quite unique and does not have a direct equivalent in English. It is similar to the "oo" sound in English, but pronounced with the tongue in a higher, more centralized position, and the lips remain unrounded.

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Short Vowel: ◌ึ represents a short /ɯ/ sound.

• The sound is similar to the "oo" in English but produced differently with the tongue in a more centralized position in the mouth, and the lips not rounded.

2. English Comparison:

• There isn't a direct equivalent in English, but it's somewhat like the "oo" sound in "book" or "foot", except the tongue is positioned further back and more towards the center of the mouth.

• Unlike the rounded lips used in English "oo" sounds, ◌ึ is pronounced with neutral or slightly spread lips.

3. IPA Representation:

• /ɯ/ (a close back unrounded vowel sound).

Examples of Words with ◌ึ:

• ดึก /dɯ̀k/: late at night

• ถึง /tʰɯ̌ŋ/: to arrive, reach

• หึง /hɯ̌ŋ/: to be jealous (romantic)

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Tongue Position:

• The tongue should be positioned further back in the mouth, with the middle of the tongue raised towards the roof of the mouth. The tip of the tongue should not touch the teeth or the roof of the mouth.

2. Lips:

• Unlike the English "oo," the lips should remain unrounded or only slightly spread.

3. Sound Duration:

• The vowel is short, so it should be pronounced quickly, without prolonging the sound.

Summary:

• ◌ึ represents the /ɯ/ sound (similar to the "oo" in "book" but with unrounded lips).

• It is a short vowel sound with the tongue positioned further back in the mouth.

Pronunciation

The Thai letter ◌ือ is a vowel symbol, it represents the /ɯː/ sound, which is a long unrounded close back vowel. This sound is similar to the /ɯ/ sound in ◌ึ, but held for a longer duration.

This sound does not have an exact equivalent in English, but it can be compared to the "oo" sound in "book" or "good", with the difference being that the tongue is placed further back and the lips remain unrounded.

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Long Vowel: ◌ือ represents a long /ɯː/ sound.

• The sound is similar to the /ɯ/ sound in ◌ึ, but it is prolonged or held for a longer duration.

2. English Comparison:

• While there is no exact equivalent in English, it can be somewhat compared to the "oo" sound in "book" or "good", but it is pronounced with the tongue positioned further back and towards the center of the mouth.

• Unlike the rounded "oo" sound in English, ◌ือ is pronounced with the lips unrounded or slightly spread.

3. IPA Representation:

• /ɯː/ (long unrounded close back vowel sound).

Examples of Words with ◌ือ:

• มือถือ /mɯː.tʰɯ̌ː/: mobile phone

• ซื้อ /sɯ́ː/: to buy

• ถือ /tʰɯ̌ː/: to hold

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Tongue Position:

• The tongue should be further back in the mouth, with the middle of the tongue raised towards the roof of the mouth, but the tip of the tongue should not touch the roof or the teeth.

2. Lips:

• Keep the lips unrounded or only slightly spread while pronouncing the sound.

3. Sound Duration:

• The ◌ือ sound should be held longer than the short ◌ึ sound. Practice saying the sound with a slightly prolonged duration.

Summary:

• ◌ือ represents the long /ɯː/ sound (similar to the "oo" in "book" but with unrounded lips).

• It is a long vowel sound, pronounced with the tongue positioned towards the back of the mouth.

Pronunciation

The Thai letter เ◌อะ is a vowel symbol, it represents a short /ɤ/ sound, which is somewhat like the "uh" sound in English but with the tongue positioned slightly higher and more towards the front of the mouth.

This sound is represented by the base vowel เ combined with the diacritic ◌อะ (which shortens the vowel sound), resulting in a short /ɤ/ sound.

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Short Vowel: เ◌อะ represents a short /ɤ/ sound, which is pronounced quickly and sharply.

• The sound is somewhat like the "uh" in English but with a more closed and slightly higher tongue position.

2. English Comparison:

• It is similar to the "uh" sound in English, but with the tongue positioned slightly higher and more towards the front of the mouth.

• It's like saying "uh" but with a more closed mouth and slightly more tension in the tongue.

3. IPA Representation:

• /ɤ/ (a short, mid-close back unrounded vowel sound, somewhat like "uh" but with the tongue slightly higher and the lips unrounded).

Examples of Words with เ◌อะ:

• เยอะ /jɤ́ʔ/: many, a lot

• เลอะ /lɤ́ʔ/: to get dirty/messy

• เผอะ /pʰɤ̌ʔ/: accidentally, carelessly

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Tongue Position:

• The tongue should be positioned in the middle of the mouth, slightly raised but not as high as for some other vowel sounds.

• The sound is more closed compared to the open "uh" in English.

2. Lips:

• The lips should remain neutral or slightly spread while pronouncing the sound.

3. Sound Duration:

• The vowel is short, so it should be pronounced quickly, without holding the sound for long.

Summary:

• เ◌อะ represents the /ɤ/ sound (similar to the "uh" in "but" but with a higher tongue position).

• It is a short vowel sound, pronounced quickly and sharply.

Pronunciation

The Thai letter เ◌อ is a vowel symbol, it represents the /ɤː/ sound, which is a long, unrounded mid-close vowel. This sound is unique to Thai and does not have an exact equivalent in English, but it can be compared to the "er" sound in words like "her" or "burn" in non-rhotic accents (i.e., accents where the "r" is not pronounced).

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Long Vowel: เ◌อ represents a long /ɤː/ sound.

• The sound is similar to the English "er" in words like "her", but it is pronounced with the tongue positioned slightly further back and more toward the center of the mouth.

2. English Comparison:

• The sound is similar to the "er" sound in English (as in "her" or "burn") but pronounced with the tongue in a slightly different position and the lips unrounded.

• In non-rhotic accents, the "r" is not pronounced, making the English "er" sound closer to this vowel.

3. IPA Representation:

• /ɤː/ (a long unrounded mid-close back vowel sound).

Examples of Words with เ◌อ:

• เธอ /tʰɤː/: she / you (informal)

• เสมอ /sa.mɤː/: always

• เจอ /t͡ɕɤː/: to meet / to find

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Tongue Position:

• The tongue should be in a mid position in the mouth, slightly raised but not as high as in other vowels like /i/ or /u/. The tongue is placed towards the back of the mouth, with the tip of the tongue not touching the roof of the mouth.

2. Lips:

• Keep the lips in a neutral position, not rounded like the "oo" sound, nor spread as in some other vowels.

3. Sound Duration:

• The เ◌อ sound is long, so it should be pronounced with a prolonged /ɤː/ sound.

Summary:

• It is a long vowel sound, pronounced with the tongue positioned towards the back of the mouth and with neutral lips.

Pronunciation

The Thai letter ◌ะ is a vowel symbol, it represents a short /a/ sound, similar to the "a" in the English word "father".

It is a short vowel sound used in many Thai words and is one of the most common vowels in the Thai language. ◌ะ is typically used to modify a consonant to produce a short "a" sound.

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Short Vowel: ◌ะ represents a short /a/ sound.

• The sound is very similar to the "a" in the English word " father", but with a slightly more open mouth and shorter duration.

2. English Comparison:

• The sound is closest to the short "a" as in "spa", "father", or "aha".

3. IPA Representation:

• /a/ (a short, open front vowel sound).

Examples of Words with ◌ะ:

• มะเขือ /má.kʰɯ̌a/: eggplant

• ตะกร้า /ta.krâː/: basket

• ละคร /la.kʰɔːn/: drama, play

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Tongue Position:

• The tongue should be in the front of the mouth, and the mouth should be open.

• The tongue is flat and relaxed, not high or low.

2. Lips:

• The lips should remain in a neutral position, not rounded.

3. Sound Duration:

• The ◌ะ sound is short, so it should be pronounced quickly and sharply, without holding the sound.

Summary:

• ◌ะ represents the /a/ sound (similar to the "a" in "spa" or "father").

• It is a short vowel sound, pronounced with the tongue flat at the front of the mouth and neutral lips.

Pronunciation

The Thai letter ◌า is a vowel symbol, it represents a long /aː/ sound, similar to the "a" in the English word "father" but held longer.

This is a long vowel and is commonly used in Thai to give a more prolonged and open "a" sound.

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Long Vowel: ◌า represents a long /aː/ sound.

• The sound is similar to the "a" in "father", but the key difference is that the vowel is longer in duration.

2. English Comparison:

• The sound is similar to the long "a" in English, as in "father", "car", or "palm".

• It is pronounced with the tongue lower in the mouth, with the mouth more open, and the sound is sustained longer than in English short vowels.

3. IPA Representation:

• /aː/ (a long, open front vowel sound).

Examples of Words with ◌า:

• ผ้า /pʰâː/: cloth / fabric

• ฟ้า /fáː/: sky

• พา /pʰaː/: to bring/take someone

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Tongue Position:

• The tongue should be positioned low and towards the front of the mouth.

• The mouth should be open, but not as wide as in other vowels.

2. Lips:

• Keep the lips in a neutral position—do not round them or spread them too much.

3. Sound Duration:

• The ◌า sound should be held longer than the short /a/ sound. Try to sustain the sound for a longer duration.

Summary:

• ◌า represents the /aː/ sound (similar to the "a" in "father").

• It is a long vowel sound, pronounced with the tongue low and in the front of the mouth, with a neutral lip position.