Thai consonant 4 of 44
ค – Kho Khwai (kaw kwaai): the Thai letter K
- Class
- Low class
- Start sound
- k
- End sound
- k
- Keyword
- buffalo
ค คอ ควาย kaw kwaai
In short
ค (คอ ควายkaw kwaai) is the 4th letter of the Thai alphabet and a low-class consonant. At the start of a syllable it sounds like k, and at the end of a syllable like k. Its name means "ค as in ควาย, buffalo".
How to say ค
k with a puff of air, as in 'kite'
The keyword ควายkwaai means buffalo. Say the letter as คอ ควายkaw kwaai.
Same "k" sound, different letter: ข Kho Khai, ฃ Kho Khuat, ฅ Kho Khon, ฆ Kho Rakhang. The class is what tells them apart.
Thai words with ค
Tap the speaker to hear each word. Can you spot ค in each one?
- ครับ kráp
polite particle (men); yes
- ค่ะ kâ
polite particle (women, statements); yes
- คะ ká
polite particle (women, questions)
- คุณ kun
you
- คน kon
person, people
- คือ kuue
is, means (identifying or defining)
- คอนโด kawn-doo
condo, apartment building
- คืน kuuen
night
- ค่า kâa
fee, cost, bill
- ครึ่ง krûeng
half; half past (after a time)
Don't mix it up with
Letters that look similar. Compare the loops, tails and notches.
- คอ ควาย kaw kwaai
Tones with low-class letters
ค is one of the 24 low-class consonants. With no tone mark:
- Live syllableMid tone
- Dead syllableHigh (short vowel) or falling (long vowel) tone
Two tone marks: ◌่ falling, ◌้ high.
The full tone rules chart