
In the Thai language, there are a total of 44 consonants. If you push to get it right from the beginning, you will face fewer problems later on, which can save you a lot of time on your journey to learn Thai. In all seriousness, focusing on your pronunciation of Thai will help both you and the person you are speaking to. Some can lead to pretty awkward situations as well or just be inconvenient. The use of tones can change the meaning of a word, even when they are spelt the same or otherwise pronounced similarly. Then there are the tones to contend with. If you practice this skill more, then you will get better and maybe you will only have to repeat yourself twice rather than three or four times. It can feel quite embarrassing to have to repeat yourself multiple times in order to be understood, but that is also all part of the process of learning Thai pronunciation.

However, these people are few and far between, especially outside of the tourist areas. Sure, there are many people who are used to talking with foreign speakers and so have a better ability to understand those who do not use the correct pronunciation. The importance of pronunciation is obvious: if you are not speaking clearly, then you will likely not be understood. While this may appear daunting at first, all in all, Thai pronunciation is not particularly difficult to master once you pass the initial learning phase. The Thai script is unique however, so it can take some time to learn to properly read and write in the language.
#Thai tone ear practice how to#
The spelling of Thai words is the ultimate key to revealing how to say each word and which tone to use. In addition, there are the tones that must also be learnt. This includes a number of diacritics, the concept of initials and finals, as well as the infamous unaspirated consonant sound that is unheard of in the English language. There are the Thai consonants and vowels, of which there are over 50 characters to learn. It does not store any personal data.There are many different elements that come together to form the pronunciation of Thai. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies.

The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. You can also listen to Thai radio stations to get a feel for the Thai tones and common words, or get on Youtube to discover some wonderful Thai musicians and sing along!ĮXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF: Treasures of Thailand with Phuketĭo you know any beautiful Thai words? Let us know in the comments below… If you want to learn some Thai phrases and words before you go, a great resource is Thai-Language, where you’ll find accurate pronunciations and translations in English. Remember, a cheery “Sà-wàt-dee” (hello) and a smile goes a long way in Thailand. Plus, people are always more helpful when you bring out a please and thank you in their mother tongue.

You’ll likely have some memorable encounters with the locals and you’ll get a real insight into the Thai culture. Even if you don’t get it right every time, the locals are happy to communicate with you, and learning some Thai phrases will make your trip so much more enriching.

And don’t get us started on that beautiful, yet enigmatic, Thai script!īut don’t worry – the Thai people are famously friendly and they’ll appreciate any attempts you make at speaking their language. So not only do you need to learn how to pronounce the words, but you’ll also need to learn their proper tone, otherwise the locals may not understand what you’re saying. A post shared by Official Thailand Tourism the Thai language can be a daunting task, as it uses five tones to differentiate between otherwise identical words.
