Speak Thai clearly: free pronunciation test

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The hardest Thai sounds for learners

• Short and long vowels

  Most Thai vowels come in short and long pairs, and length changes meaning just like tone does: ข้าว khâao (rice) and เข้า khâo (to enter). A short vowel is cut off quickly; a long one is held clearly longer. Romanizations usually show long vowels with double letters.

• Aspirated and unaspirated consonants

  Thai has two kinds of p, t and k. ป p, ต t and ก k have no puff of air, like the p in 'spin'. พ ph, ท th and ค kh have a strong puff, like English p, t and k at the start of a word. Ph and th are never f or the th in 'thin'. Compare ไก่ kài (chicken) and ไข่ khài (egg), or ตา taa (eye) and ทา thaa (to paint).

• The five tones

  Thai has five tones: mid, low, falling, high and rising, and the tone is part of the word. The tone comes from a mix of consonant class, vowel length and tone marks, so learn each new word together with its tone. The classic practice line ไม้ใหม่ไม่ไหม้ไหม (máai mài mâi mâi mǎi) means 'new wood doesn't burn, does it?'