Thai alphabet · vowels

Thai vowels: long and short vowels with audio

Every Thai vowel with an example word you can hear: short and long pairs, the diphthongs, and where each vowel sits around its consonant.

See the vowel chart Take the quiz

Quick answer

Thai has 32 vowels written with 21 vowel symbols. Most come in short and long pairs (◌ะa and ◌าaa), and length changes the meaning of a word. A vowel can be written before, after, above or below the consonant, or on several sides at once, but you always pronounce the consonant first.

Thai vowels chart: short and long

◌ shows where the consonant goes. Tap the speaker to hear an example word.

◌ะ
ashort · after

จะjà will (future)

◌า
aalong · after

ตาdtaa eye
◌ิ
ishort · above

กินgin eat

◌ี
iilong · above

ดีdii good
◌ุ
ushort · below

ทุกtúk every

◌ู
uulong · below

ดูduu look, watch
เ◌าะ
awshort · before + after

เกาะgàw island

◌อ
awlong · after

จอjaw screen
เ◌ะ
eshort · before + after

เตะdtè kick

เ◌
eelong · before

เจjee vegan (Chinese-Thai style)
แ◌ะ
aeshort · before + after

และláe and

แ◌
aelong · before

แปดbpàet eight
โ◌ะ
oshort · before + after

โต๊ะdtó table

โ◌
oolong · before

โตdtoo big; grow up
◌ึ
ueshort · above

ถึงtǔeng arrive; to, until

◌ือ
uuelong · above + after

มือmuue hand
เ◌อะ
oeshort · before + after

เยอะyóe a lot

เ◌อ
oelong · before + after

เจอjoe meet; find
เ◌ียะ
iashort · before + above + after

เกี๊ยะgía wooden clogs

เ◌ีย
ialong · before + above + after

เรียนrian study, learn
–no short form in use

เ◌ือ
uealong · before + above + after

เรือruea boat
◌ัวะ
uashort · above + after

ผัวะpùa smack! (the sound of a slap)

◌ัว
ualong · above + after

ตัวdtua body; (classifier for animals and clothes)

Train your ear for length in the free lesson Long and short vowels.

Special vowels

Short vowels with a built-in ending (ai, ao, am), and the letter-vowels ฤ and ฤๅ.

ai short
ai short
ao short
am short
ai short
rue short
ruue long
ฦ lue short
ฦๅ luue long

ไ◌ai and ใ◌ai sound the same; ใ is used in only about 20 common words, such as ใจjai (heart) and ใหม่mài (new).

Vowels that change shape before a final consonant

When a consonant follows, some vowels drop a part or swap it for another mark.

◌ือ → ◌ื◌ uue

ยืนyuuenstand
เ◌อ → เ◌ิ◌ oe

เดินdoenwalk
◌ัว → ◌ว◌ ua

บวกbùakplus; add
◌ะ → ◌ั◌ a

วันwanday
เ◌ะ → เ◌็◌ e

เด็กdèkchild
แ◌ะ → แ◌็◌ ae

แข็งkǎenghard, strong
เ◌าะ → ◌็อ◌ aw

ล็อกláwklock

Vowels you can't see

o
short o before a final is not written: two consonants side by side

คนkonperson
a
an unwritten short a after a consonant that has no vowel, before another syllable

สบายsà-baaiwell, comfortable

Vowels ending in y or w

A vowel plus ย (y) or ว (w) makes a glide, read as one sound.

aai long
aao long
awy long
aew long
ooi long
oei long
iaw long
uay long
iu short
ui short
ew short
ueay long

Long or short? Hear the difference

The same consonants and tone, a different vowel length, a different word.

short vs long

เข้า kâo
enter

falling

ข้าว kâao
rice

falling
short vs long

เขา kǎo
he, she

rising

ขาว kǎao
white

rising
short vs long

คุณ kun
you

mid

คูณ kuun
multiply

mid
short vs long

สด sòt
fresh

low

โสด sòot
single (not married)

low
short vs long

ใน nai
in

mid

นาย naai
Mr.; boss

mid
short vs long

ใส sǎi
clear (water, glass)

rising

สาย sǎai
late (in the morning); line

rising

Vowel quiz

See a vowel, pick its sound. 10 questions.

Question 1 of 10 Score 0

What does this vowel sound like?

ฤๅ

Learn the vowels step by step

The free Read Thai course introduces the vowels a few at a time, with words you can read right away.

More Thai script

Thai vowels FAQ

How many vowels does Thai have?

Thai is usually said to have 32 vowels, written with 21 vowel symbols: 9 pairs of short and long vowels, 3 pairs of diphthongs (ia, uea, ua) and a handful of special vowels such as ไ, ใ, เ◌า and ◌ำ. Some of them change shape when a final consonant follows.

What is the difference between long and short vowels in Thai?

Length changes the word. ข้าว (kâao) with a long aa means rice, while เข้า (kâo) with a short a means to enter. Long vowels are held about twice as long, and in our romanization they are written double: aa, ii, uu.

Why are some Thai vowels written before the consonant?

It is a spelling convention inherited from older Indic scripts. You still say the consonant first: in เก the vowel เ◌ comes first on the page, but you read g + ee = gee.

How do I read a Thai word that has no vowel?

Some vowels are not written. Two consonants side by side usually hide a short o (คน kon, person), and in longer words an unwritten short a can sit after the first consonant (สบาย sà-baai).

Do Thai vowels affect the tone?

Yes. A short vowel with no final consonant makes a dead syllable, which changes the tone: low for mid- and high-class letters, high for low-class letters. That is why vowel length matters in the tone rules.