Letters that hum: ง น ม ย ร ล ว

Here are seven letters whose sound you can hum or hold: งngaw ng, นnaw n, มmaw m, ยyaw y, รraw r, ลlaw l, วwaw w. They belong to the low class, but in a live syllable the low class gives the mid tone too, so everything in this lesson still sounds flat and calm: มาmaa (come), มีmii (have), นอนnawn (sleep).

Sound notes

• งngaw is the "ng" of "sing", but Thai also starts words with it: งานngaan (work). Say "sing-along" and drop the "si-".
• รraw is a quick tap of the tongue, like the r in Spanish pero. In casual speech many Thais say it like l.
• ลlaw is a clear English l.

Live endings

These letters also end syllables, and a syllable that ends in one of them is live:

• งngaw = ng: แดงdaeng (red)
• นnaw = n: จานjaan (plate)
• มmaw = m: ตามdtaam (follow)
• รraw and ลlaw at the end sound n: บอลbawn (ball)
• ยyaw and วwaw make glides that we write inside the vowel: ยายyaai (grandma), ยาวyaao (long), ดอยdawy (mountain), แมวmaew (cat)

The complete live and dead rule

• Live: a long vowel; ไ◌ai, ใ◌ai, เ◌าao or ◌ำam; or any vowel + m, n, ng, y, w
• Dead: ends in k, t or p, or in a short vowel

Tone table so far:

• mid class: live = mid, dead = low
• low class: live = mid, dead = see lesson 7

Longer words

Read them one syllable at a time: เวลาwee-laa (time) is เวwee + ลาlaa; โรงแรมroong-raem (hotel) is โรงroong + แรมraem.

Typical mistake: pronouncing a final รraw or ลlaw as r or l. Thai syllables never end in those sounds, so "ball" becomes บอลbawn.