Sounds and tones · Lesson 6 of 11

With or without a puff: k/g, p/bp/b, t/dt/d

Say g, bp and dt without a puff of air and k, p and t with one, and hear the difference.

Practise this lesson Free · no sign-up needed Open the tone trainer

How it works

At first, many English speakers can't hear the difference between ไก่gài (chicken) and ไข่kài (egg). The secret is a tiny puff of air.

What aspiration is

Hold your hand in front of your mouth and say "pin", then "spin". You feel a puff after the p in "pin" but not in "spin". English decides this automatically; Thai uses it to tell words apart.

Three pairs

no puff กgaw g, puff ขkǎw and คkaw k
no puff ปbpaw bp, puff ผpǎw and พpaw p
no puff ตdtaw dt, puff ถtǎw and ทtaw t

In our romanization g, bp and dt mean no puff. They are not English g, b and d.

Plus b and d

Thai also has บbaw b and ดdaw d, just like English. So there are three p-like sounds and three t-like sounds:

บ้าbâa crazy, ป้าbpâa aunt, ผ้าpâa cloth
ดีdii good, ตีdtii hit, ทีtii time, turn

The trick

To make bp, dt and g, say "spy", "sty" and "sky", then leave out the s. What's left is exactly the Thai sound.

Classic mix-ups

ไปbpai (go) said with a puff, like English "pie"
เป็ดbpèt (duck) and เผ็ดpèt (spicy)
ปิดbpìt (close) and ผิดpìt (wrong)

จjaw (no puff) and ชchaw (puff) follow the same idea: จานjaan (plate) and ชานchaan (veranda).

Typical mistake: voicing bp like an English b. Keep your voice off until the vowel starts.

Listen and repeat

Say each word out loud after the audio. Watch the accent in the romanization: it tells you the tone.

ไก่ gài
chicken
ไข่ kài
egg
ไป bpai
go
ใบ bai
leaf
ตา dtaa
eye
ทา taa
apply (paint, cream)
ดี dii
good
ปิด bpìt
close
ผิด pìt
wrong
เป็ด bpèt
duck
เผ็ด pèt
spicy
ผ้า pâa
cloth

Minimal pairs

Words that differ in just one sound. Listen to each set until you can hear the difference, then say them.

g vs k

ไก่ gài
chicken

low

ไข่ kài
egg

low
g vs k

กา gaa
kettle; crow

mid

คา kaa
stuck

mid
g vs k

กัน gan
together

mid

คัน kan
itchy

mid
g vs k

ก้าว gâao
step

falling

ข้าว kâao
rice

falling
bp vs p

ปิด bpìt
close

low

ผิด pìt
wrong

low
bp vs p

เป็ด bpèt
duck

low

เผ็ด pèt
spicy

low
bp vs p

ปา bpaa
throw

mid

พา paa
take (someone) along

mid
bp vs p

ป่า bpàa
forest

low

ผ่า pàa
cut open, split

low
dt vs t

ตา dtaa
eye

mid

ทา taa
apply (paint, cream)

mid
dt vs t

ไต dtai
kidney

mid

ไทย tai
Thai

mid
dt vs t

ตอน dtawn
when; part (of a day)

mid

ทอน tawn
give change

mid
b vs bp

ใบ bai
leaf

mid

ไป bpai
go

mid
d vs dt

ได้ dâi
can

falling

ใต้ dtâi
under; south

falling
d vs dt

ดำ dam
black

mid

ตำ dtam
pound (in a mortar)

mid
b vs bp vs p

บ้า bâa
crazy

falling

ป้า bpâa
aunt; auntie

falling

ผ้า pâa
cloth

falling
d vs dt vs t

ดี dii
good

mid

ตี dtii
hit

mid

ที tii
time (once, twice); turn

mid
j vs ch

จาน jaan
plate

mid

ชาน chaan
veranda, porch

mid

Tone by tone

The words from this lesson's tone drill, sorted by tone. In the app you hear them in random order and pick the tone.

mid

no mark

ตา dtaa
eye
ทา taa
apply
ดี dii
good

low

ไก่ gài
chicken
ไข่ kài
egg
ปิด bpìt
close
ผิด pìt
wrong
เป็ด bpèt
duck
เผ็ด pèt
spicy

falling

บ้า bâa
crazy
ป้า bpâa
aunt
ผ้า pâa
cloth

New to tones? Start with the five Thai tones explained, then learn how spelling tells you the tone in the tone rules chart.