Interactive chart · tap to hear
The Thai alphabet: all 44 letters with audio
Every Thai consonant, vowel and tone mark on one page. Tap a letter to hear its name, filter by class, print the chart, then test yourself with a 2-minute quiz.
Quick answer
Thai alphabet chart: the 44 consonants
In alphabet order, coloured by class. Tap a letter to hear its name; tap the name to open the letter's page.
Faded letters (ฃ ฅ) are no longer used. Want the details? See the Thai consonants chart with start and end sounds.
Thai vowels
Vowels are written before, after, above or below the consonant (◌ marks where it goes). Long and short vowels are different sounds.
- aa long
- ii long
- uu long
- aw long
- ee long
- ae long
- oo long
- ai short
- ai short
- ao short
- am short
- uue long
- oe long
- ia long
- uea long
- ua long
- a short
- i short
- ue short
- u short
- e short
- ae short
- o short
- aw short
- oe short
- ai short
- rue short
- ruue long
- ia short
- ua short
These are the basic forms. The Thai vowels chart has all 53 forms, including how vowels change shape before a final consonant.
The 4 tone marks
Written above the consonant. What they do depends on the consonant's class.
ไม้เอก
mái-èek
e.g. ไก่gài
ไม้โท
mái-too
e.g. ได้dâi
ไม้ตรี
mái-dtrii
e.g. โต๊ะdtó
ไม้จัตวา
mái-jàt-dtà-waa
e.g. ตั๋วdtǔa
How they work, class by class: Thai tone marks and the tone rules chart.
Thai numerals ๐-๙
Arabic digits are used most of the time, but you'll see Thai digits on temple signs, official papers and some price tags.
- ๐ 0
- ๑ 1
- ๒ 2
- ๓ 3
- ๔ 4
- ๕ 5
- ๖ 6
- ๗ 7
- ๘ 8
- ๙ 9
Learn to count with them on Thai numbers 1-100 and beyond.
How many letters are in the Thai alphabet?
| Part | How many | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Consonants | 44 | 2 obsolete (ฃ ฅ), so 42 in use, for 21 consonant sounds |
| Vowels | 32 | built from 21 vowel symbols; long and short pairs plus diphthongs |
| Tone marks | 4 | ◌่ ◌้ ◌๊ ◌๋: mai ek, mai tho, mai tri, mai chattawa |
| Numerals | 10 | ๐ ๑ ๒ ๓ ๔ ๕ ๖ ๗ ๘ ๙ |
How Thai script works in 5 rules
- 1
Every syllable starts with a consonant.
Even a syllable that starts with a vowel sound: the silent letter อ holds the vowel, as in อา (aa, aunt).
- 2
Vowels go around the consonant.
A vowel can sit after (กา), above (กี), below (กู), before (เก) or on both sides (เกา) of its consonant, but you always say the consonant first.
- 3
There are no spaces between words.
Spaces mark the end of a phrase or sentence. You learn to see word boundaries from the vowels and final consonants.
- 4
There are no capital letters.
Names and sentence starts look like every other word.
- 5
The spelling tells you the tone.
Consonant class + vowel length + final sound + tone mark = the tone. That is why each letter has a class.
The three consonant classes and why they matter
Thai consonants are split into mid (9), high (11) and low (24) class. The class has nothing to do with the pitch of the letter itself: it is a spelling category that, together with the vowel and the final sound, decides the tone. A mid-class letter with a long vowel gives a mid tone (ดีdii, good), a high-class letter gives a rising tone (ขาkǎa, leg) and a low-class letter a mid tone again (มาmaa, come).
That is why the chart colours each letter by class. Learn the class with the letter, and the tone rules become simple.
Learn the letters in the right order
Don't learn the alphabet from ก to ฮ. Start with the mid-class consonants ก จ ด ต บ ป อ and a few long vowels: their tone rules are the simplest, and they already spell real words like ตาdtaa (eye), ดีdii (good) and ปูbpuu (crab). Then add the "humming" low-class letters ง น ม ย ร ล ว, then the high class, then the rest of the low class. Leave rare letters like ฆ, ฌ and ฬ for last.
Letters that look alike
Most mix-ups come from these groups. Look for the loop, the tail or the notch.
2-minute letter quiz
See a letter, pick its sound. 10 questions, no sign-up.
What sound does this letter make at the start of a word?
Go deeper
- Thai consonants chart All 44 with classes and start and end sounds.
- Thai vowels chart Long and short vowels and where they go.
- Thai tone marks Mai ek, mai tho, mai tri and mai chattawa.
- Thai tone rules Read the tone of any word from its spelling.
- Learn to read Thai (free course) From your first letter to real signs.
- Thai numbers and numerals Count in Thai and read ๐ to ๙.
Thai alphabet FAQ
How many letters are in the Thai alphabet?
The Thai alphabet has 44 consonants, 2 of which (ฃ and ฅ) are no longer used. On top of that come the vowels: 21 vowel symbols that combine into 32 vowels, plus 4 tone marks and 10 Thai digits.
Which Thai letters are no longer used?
ฃ (kho khuat) and ฅ (kho khon). They were replaced by ข and ค and only appear in the alphabet song and on charts. The vowels ฦ and ฦๅ are obsolete too.
Does Thai have capital letters?
No. Thai has no upper and lower case, and no spaces between words: spaces separate phrases and sentences. Names, places and the start of a sentence look exactly like any other word.
How long does it take to learn the Thai alphabet?
You can recognise the consonants in a week or two of short daily practice, and read simple words after a few lessons. Reading tones correctly takes a bit longer because you need the consonant classes and tone rules, which our free Read Thai course teaches step by step.
Is Thai script hard to learn?
It looks hard because it is unfamiliar, but it is very regular: letters are always pronounced the same way, and the spelling tells you the tone. Most learners find it easier than they expected once they start with the 9 mid-class letters.
Why is ก called "ko kai"?
Every Thai consonant has a name made of its sound plus a keyword, the way English children say "A for apple". ก is กอ ไก่ (gaw gài): "g as in ไก่, chicken". The keyword tells apart letters with the same sound, like ข (kho khai, egg) and ค (kho khwai, buffalo).