r, l and clusters

r and l

รraw is a tapped r: one quick flick of the tongue tip behind your top teeth, like the r in Spanish pero. In formal speech and songs it may be trilled. ลlaw is a clear English l.

In relaxed Bangkok speech many people say l for r: รักrák (love) can sound like lák. Understand both, but aim for a real r when you speak carefully and when you read aloud. Never turn ลlaw into an r.

The difference changes words:

• รักrák love and ลักlák steal
• ร้านráan shop and ล้านláan million
• เร็วrew fast and เลวlew bad

Clusters

A Thai cluster is a consonant plus r, l or w in one beat: ครับkráp, ใครkrai (who), ปลาbplaa (fish), ใกล้glâi (near), ขวาkwǎa (right), เพลงpleeng (song), ตรงdtrong (straight), ประเทศbprà-têet (country).

Don't slip a vowel between the two consonants: kráp, not "ka-ráp".

Casual speech

People often drop the r or l: ครับkráp becomes káp, ปลาbplaa becomes bpaa, ใครkrai becomes kai. Expect to hear it. When you speak, the full cluster sounds clear and educated, and nobody will find it odd. The w-clusters keep their w even in casual speech: ขวาkwǎa, ความkwaam.

More pairs

• กลับglàp go back and กับgàp with
• ครองkrawng rule and คลองklawng canal, as in Bangkok's famous khlongs

Typical mistake: an English r with the tongue curled back. Thai r is a light tap at the front of the mouth.