New sounds: ng at the start, and the vowels ue and oe

Here are three sounds English doesn't have, at least not where Thai puts them.

ng at the start of a word

English only has ng at the end of words, as in "sing". Thai also starts words with it: งูnguu (snake), งานngaan (work). Try this: say "sing-ah", then "si-ngah", then drop the "si": ngaa.

Don't swap it for n or g, because that makes different words:

• งานngaan work and นานnaan a long time
• เงินngoen money and เกินgoen too much

ue: "oo" with a smile

For ◌ึue and ◌ือuue, spread your lips as if smiling and say "oo" without rounding them. Your tongue stays where it is for "oo"; only your lips change.

• มือmuue hand
• ถึงtǔeng arrive, compared with ถุงtǔng bag, said with rounded lips

oe: the "fur" vowel

เ◌อoe is the vowel of British "fur" without the r, or a long, relaxed "uh": เจอjoe (meet), เดินdoen (walk), เงินngoen (money). Don't let it drift towards aw or oo:

• เจอjoe meet and จอjaw screen
• เดินdoen walk and โดนdoon get hit

A Chiang Mai link

คือkuue means "is"; คูkuu is a moat, as in คูเมืองkuu-mueang, the moat around Chiang Mai's Old City. Lips spread for the first, rounded for the second.

Typical mistake: saying an initial งngaw as "n-g" in two steps. It's one sound, made at the back of your mouth, exactly like the end of "sing".