Short vowels: Learn to Read Thai, Lesson 10

The 11 new letters and signs

Tap a letter to hear it. Tap a consonant's name for its own page with example words.

Vowels

a short
i short
ue short
u short
e short
ae short
o short
aw short
oe short
iu short
ui short

◌ะ a · short: like the u in 'cup', cut short· e.g.จะjà will (future)
◌ิ i · short: like the i in 'sit'· e.g.กินgin eat
◌ึ ue · short: a short, spread-lip 'oo'· e.g.ถึงtǔeng arrive; to, until
◌ุ u · short: like the oo in 'book'· e.g.ทุกtúk every
เ◌ะ e · short: like the e in 'pet'· e.g.เตะdtè kick
แ◌ะ ae · short: like the a in 'cat', short· e.g.และláe and
โ◌ะ o · short: a short 'oh'· e.g.โต๊ะdtó table
เ◌าะ aw · short: like the o in British 'hot'· e.g.เกาะgàw island
เ◌อะ oe · short: a short 'uh', as in British 'fur'· e.g.เยอะyóe a lot
◌ิว iu · short: i + w: like the ew in 'new'· e.g.หิวhǐu hungry
◌ุย ui · short: u + y: like 'ooey'· e.g.คุยkui chat, talk

How it works

Every long vowel has a short partner. Length matters in Thai: it changes words, and it can change the tone.

The short vowels

◌ะa (long ◌าaa): จะjà will
◌ิi (long ◌ีii): กินgin eat
◌ึue (long ◌ือuue): ถึงtǔeng arrive
◌ุu (long ◌ูuu): ทุกtúk every
เ◌ะe (long เ◌ee): เตะdtè kick
แ◌ะae (long แ◌ae): และláe and
โ◌ะo (long โ◌oo): โต๊ะdtó table
เ◌าะaw (long ◌อaw): เกาะgàw island
เ◌อะoe (long เ◌อoe): เยอะyóe a lot

Many short forms just add ◌ะa at the end, and ◌ิi, ◌ึue, ◌ุu are the smaller strokes of ◌ีii, ◌ืuue, ◌ูuu. Our romanization doubles long vowels (aa, ii, uu, uue, ee, oo); for ae, aw and oe it doesn't show length.

Short and dead

A short vowel at the end of a syllable makes it dead, often with a little catch in the throat. Dead syllables follow the rules you know:

mid or high class: low: จะjà, สิบsìp (ten)
low class: high: นะná, คะká, คิดkít (think)

So low-class dead syllables have two possible tones: short is high (คิดkít), long is falling (พูดpûut).

Short but live

A short vowel followed by m, n, ng, y or w is live: กินgin (eat), ลุงlung (uncle), หิวhǐu (hungry), คุยkui (chat).

Tone marks on short syllables

They work as usual: ค่ะkâ (low class + ◌่mái-èek = falling), กุ้งgûng (shrimp).

Typical mistake: saying คะká and ค่ะkâ the same way. One is high and asks; the other falls and states.

Practise reading

Read each word first, then check the romanization and meaning and tap the speaker to hear it.

นะ ná
(softening particle) ...okay?
จะ jà
will (future)
และ láe
and
คะ ká
(polite particle, women, questions)
ค่ะ kâ
(polite particle, women, statements); yes
กิน gin
eat
ปิด bpìt
close; closed; turn off
คิด kít
think
สิบ sìp
ten
ทุก túk
every
ถึง tǔeng
arrive; to, until
หิว hǐu
hungry
คุย kui
chat, talk
เกาะ gàw
island
เยอะ yóe
a lot, many
โต๊ะ dtó
table
กุ้ง gûng
shrimp, prawn
ทะเล tá-lee
sea
มะม่วง má-mûang
mango
ทุเรียน tú-rian
durian

Spot it in real life

Written the way you'll see it on signs and screens.

shop doors

ปิด bpìt
closed
ferry piers and road signs

เกาะ gàw
island (Ko)