Pronunciation

The Thai consonant ง is pronounced as /ŋ/ and is called "ง งู" (ngɔ̌ɔ nguu), meaning "ng snake." It represents a voiced velar nasal, similar to the "ng" sound in English words like "song" or "long."

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Voiced: The vocal cords vibrate when producing this sound.

• Velar Nasal: The sound is produced by blocking the airflow at the velum (the soft part of the roof of the mouth, toward the back) and letting the air pass through the nose.

2. English Comparison:

• It is the same sound as the "ng" in English words like "song", "long", or "sing."

• This sound is produced by closing the back of the mouth with the tongue, and letting the air pass through the nose.

3. IPA Representation:

• /ŋ/ (a nasal "ng" sound, like in "sing").

Examples of Words with ง:

• กลาง /klaːŋ/: center, middle

• ง่วง /ŋûaŋ/: sleepy

• งด /ŋót/: to refrain, to cancel

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Velar Nasal:

• Place the back of your tongue against the soft part of the roof of your mouth (the velum) and let the air pass through your nose.

• The sound should be smooth and nasal, similar to the "ng" in "song" or "sing."

2. Voiced Sound:

• Make sure the vocal cords vibrate as you make the sound, unlike the "n" sound, which doesn't involve the velum.

Summary:

• ง is a voiced velar nasal (like the "ng" in "song" or "long").

• It is produced by blocking the airflow at the back of the mouth with the tongue and allowing air to pass through the nose.

Pronunciation

The Thai consonant ย is pronounced as /j/ and is called "ย ยักษ์" (yɔ̌ɔ yák), meaning "y giant." It represents a voiced palatal approximant, which is similar to the "y" sound in English words like "yes" or "yellow."

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Voiced: The vocal cords vibrate when producing this sound.

• Palatal Approximant: The sound is produced by bringing the middle of the tongue close to the hard palate (the roof of the mouth), without blocking the airflow, creating a smooth, flowing sound.

2. English Comparison:

• It is the same sound as the "y" in English words like "yes", "yellow", or "you."

• The sound is produced by the tongue approaching the roof of the mouth near the hard palate.

3. IPA Representation:

• /j/ (the "y" sound, like in "yes").

Examples of Words with ยญ:

• ยา /jaː/: medicine

• อยาก /ʔjàːk/: to want (to do)

• หญิง /jǐŋ/: woman, female

• ปัญญา /pan.jaː/: wisdom

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Palatal Approximant:

• To pronounce ย, bring the middle part of your tongue near the roof of your mouth (the hard palate), without fully blocking the airflow.

• The sound should be smooth and continuous, like the "y" in "yes" or "yellow."

2. Voiced Sound:

• Make sure the vocal cords vibrate while producing this sound. It’s a voiced sound, so you should feel a buzz in your throat.

Comparison with Similar Consonants:

• ย (y) vs. ร (r):

ร is pronounced with a rolled "r" sound, while ย is pronounced with the "y" sound, similar to the English "y" in "yes."

Summary:

• ย is a voiced palatal approximant (like the "y" in "yes" or "yellow").

• It is produced by bringing the middle of the tongue close to the roof of the mouth near the hard palate, without fully blocking the airflow.

Pronunciation

The Thai consonant น is pronounced as /n/ and is called "น หนู" (nɔ̌ɔ nùu), meaning "n mouse." It represents a voiced alveolar nasal, similar to the "n" sound in English words like "no" or "not."

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Voiced: The vocal cords vibrate when producing this sound.

• Alveolar Nasal: The sound is produced by placing the tongue against the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper teeth), and letting the air pass through the nose.

2. English Comparison:

• It is the same sound as the "n" in English words like "no", "not", or "name."

• The sound is produced by blocking the airflow in the mouth with the tongue and allowing the air to pass through the nose.

3. IPA Representation:

• /n/ (a nasal "n" sound, like in "no").

Examples of Words with นณ:

• นอน /nɔːn/: to sleep

• สนุก /sà.nùk/: fun, enjoyable

• อาณาจักร /ʔaː.naː.t͡ɕàk/: kingdom

• ปณิธาน /pa.ní.tʰaːn/: aspiration, vow

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Alveolar Nasal:

• Place the tip of your tongue against the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper teeth).

• The sound should be smooth and nasal, similar to the "n" in "no" or "not."

• Allow the air to pass through the nose, not the mouth.

2. Voiced Sound:

• Make sure the vocal cords vibrate when you pronounce the น sound, as it is voiced. You should feel a slight buzz in your throat.

Summary:

• น is a voiced alveolar nasal (like the "n" in "no" or "not").

• It is produced by placing the tongue on the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper teeth) and allowing the air to pass through the nose.

Pronunciation

The Thai consonant ม is pronounced as /m/ and is called "ม ม้า" (mɔ̌ɔ máa), meaning "m horse." It represents a voiced bilabial nasal, which is the same sound as the "m" in English words like "man" or "mother."

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Voiced: The vocal cords vibrate when producing this sound.

• Bilabial Nasal: The sound is produced by bringing both lips together, blocking the airflow in the mouth, and letting the air pass through the nose.

2. English Comparison:

• It is the same sound as the "m" in English words like "man", "mother", or "moon."

• The sound is produced by closing both lips and allowing the air to escape through the nose.

3. IPA Representation:

• /m/ (a nasal "m" sound, like in "man").

Examples of Words with ม:

• แม่ /mɛ̂ː/: mother

• ใหม่ /màj/: new

• มหาวิทยาลัย /má.hǎː.wít.tʰá.jaː.laj/: university

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Bilabial Nasal:

• To pronounce ม, bring both of your lips together and let the air flow through your nose, blocking the airflow in the mouth.

• The sound should be smooth and nasal, like the "m" in "man" or "mother."

2. Voiced Sound:

• The vocal cords should vibrate as you pronounce the ม sound. You should feel a buzz in your throat when you produce it.

Comparison with Similar Consonants:

• ม (m) vs. น (n):

ม is a bilabial nasal, produced by closing both lips, while น is an alveolar nasal, produced by placing the tongue just behind the upper teeth. Both are nasal sounds, but the tongue and lip placement are different.

Summary:

• ม is a voiced bilabial nasal (like the "m" in "man" or "mother").

• It is produced by bringing both lips together and letting the air pass through the nose.

Pronunciation

The Thai consonant ร is pronounced as /r/ and is called "ร เรือ" (rɔ̌ɔ rʉa), meaning "r boat." It represents a voiced alveolar trill or rolled "r", similar to the "r" sound in Spanish or Italian but different from the English "r."

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Voiced: The vocal cords vibrate when producing this sound.

• Alveolar Trill: The sound is produced by placing the tip of the tongue near the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper teeth) and allowing it to vibrate or "roll" as air passes over it.

2. English Comparison:

• The sound is similar to the rolled "r" in Spanish (as in "perro" or "carro") or Italian (as in "Roma").

• The English "r" is quite different in sound and tongue placement, as it’s produced with the tongue near the roof of the mouth, not trilling.

3. IPA Representation:

• /r/ (a rolled "r" sound, like in Spanish or Italian).

Examples of Words with ร:

• เรือ /rɯːa/: boat

• รัก /rák/: to love

• ร้อน /rɔ́ːn/: hot

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Alveolar Trill:

• To produce the /r/ sound, place the tip of your tongue near the alveolar ridge (just behind your upper teeth).

• The tongue should not block the airflow completely, but should vibrate or "roll" as the air passes over it. This is what creates the characteristic trilling sound.

2. Voiced Sound:

• The ร sound is voiced, so you should feel vibration in your vocal cords as you produce the sound.

• The sound should come from the throat, and you might need to practice vibrating your tongue lightly.

Summary:

• ร is a voiced alveolar trill (like the rolled "r" in Spanish or Italian).

• It is produced by vibrating the tip of the tongue near the alveolar ridge as air passes over it.

Pronunciation

The Thai consonant ล is pronounced as /l/ and is called "ล ลิง" (lɔ̌ɔ líng), meaning "l monkey." It represents a voiced alveolar lateral approximant, which is the same sound as the "l" in English words like "love" or "light."

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Voiced: The vocal cords vibrate when producing this sound.

• Alveolar Lateral Approximant: The sound is produced by placing the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper teeth), while allowing air to flow around the sides of the tongue.

2. English Comparison:

• It is the same sound as the "l" in English words like "love", "light", or "lake."

• The sound is made by placing the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge and letting air flow out from the sides of the tongue.

3. IPA Representation:

• /l/ (a lateral "l" sound, like in "love").

Examples of Words with ลฬ:

• ผลไม้ /pʰǒn.lá.máj/: fruit

• ลาว /laːw/: Laos

• จุฬา / t͡ɕù.laa/：Chulalongkorn (Univ./royal name)

• ฤๅษีจุฬา /rɯː.sǐːt͡ɕù.laa/：Sage Chula (mythical)

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Alveolar Lateral Approximant:

• Place the tip of your tongue against the alveolar ridge (just behind the upper teeth).

• Allow air to flow over the sides of your tongue. This is the lateral aspect of the sound.

• The tongue should not block the airflow completely; it should create a narrow channel that allows the air to pass around the sides of the tongue.

2. Voiced Sound:

• The ล sound is voiced, so make sure your vocal cords are vibrating while you pronounce it.

Summary:

• ล is a voiced alveolar lateral approximant (like the "l" in "love" or "light").

• It is produced by placing the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge and letting air flow around the sides of the tongue.

Pronunciation

The Thai consonant ว is pronounced as /w/ and is called "ว แหวน" (wáaen), meaning "w ring." It represents a voiced labio-velar approximant, similar to the "w" sound in English words like "water" or "wonder."

Pronunciation Details:

1. Sound Type:

• Voiced: The vocal cords vibrate when producing this sound.

• Labio-Velar Approximant: The sound is produced by rounding the lips slightly and raising the back of the tongue toward the velum (the soft part of the roof of the mouth).

2. English Comparison:

• It is the same sound as the "w" in English words like "water", "wonder", or "window."

• The sound is produced by rounding the lips and allowing air to pass without obstruction, with the back of the tongue raised near the velum.

3. IPA Representation:

• /w/ (a "w" sound, like in "water" or "wonder").

Examples of Words with ว:

• วิชา /wí.t͡ɕʰaː/: subject (academic)

• วิเศษ /wí.sèːt/: wonderful, special

• วาง /waːŋ/: to place, to set

Tips for Pronunciation:

1. Labio-Velar Approximant:

• To pronounce ว, round your lips slightly and raise the back of your tongue toward the velum (the soft part of the roof of your mouth).

• The sound should be smooth, with no obstruction of airflow—similar to the "w" sound in English.

2. Voiced Sound:

• The ว sound is voiced, so you should feel vibration in your vocal cords when pronouncing it.

• It is a gentle, smooth sound, with the air passing freely between the lips and the back of the tongue.

Summary:

• ว is a voiced labio-velar approximant (like the "w" in "water" or "wonder").

• It is produced by rounding the lips and raising the back of the tongue toward the velum.