Thai alphabet
Consonants, vowels & tones
Unit 1 starts with Mid-class everyday letters and starter vowels; Unit 2 adds small Low and High bites for numbers and personal info. Class colors match the app. Open the app for stroke animation, audio, and writing practice.
Mid class — everyday (Unit 1)
Seven Mid consonants taught first — enough to start reading simple syllables with starter vowels.
- กMid
Ko Kai
g
ไก่ — chicken — mid class, g- initial
- จMid
Cho Chan
j
จาน — plate — mid class, j- initial
- ดMid
Do Dek
d
เด็ก — child — mid class, d- initial
- ตMid
To Tao
dt
เต่า — turtle — mid class, dt- initial
- บMid
Bo Baimai
b
ใบไม้ — leaf — mid class, b- initial
- ปMid
Po Pla
bp
ปลา — fish — mid class, bp- initial
Lookalike · ป / บ
Looks a lot like บ
บ and ป share the same two-hump body. You already know บ (Bo Baimai). ป (Po Pla) is the open one — the bottom of the right bowl does not close.
Closed bottom → บ · open bottom → ป
- อMid
O Ang
—
อ่าง — basin — mid class; also used as a vowel
All consonants (42 in use)
- กMid
Ko Kai
g
ไก่ — chicken — mid class, g- initial
- ขHigh
Kho Khai
kh
ไข่ — egg — high class, kh- initial
- คLow
Kho Khwaai
kh
ควาย — water buffalo — low class, kh- initial
- ฆLow
Kho Rakhang
kh
ระฆัง — temple bell — low class, kh- initial
- งLow
Ngo Ngu
ng
งู — snake — low class, ng- initial
- จMid
Cho Chan
j
จาน — plate — mid class, j- initial
- ฉHigh
Cho Ching
ch
ฉิ่ง — cymbal — high class, ch- initial
- ชLow
Cho Chang
ch
ช้าง — elephant — low class, ch- initial
- ซLow
So So
s
โซ่ — chain — low class, s- initial (loanwords)
- ฌLow
Cho Cho
ch
เฌอ — tree — low class, ch- initial
- ญLow
Yo Ying
y
หญิง — woman — low class, y- initial
- ฎMid
Do Chada
d
ชฎา — dance hat — mid class, d- initial
- ฏMid
To Patak
dt
ปฏัก — harpoon — mid class, dt- initial
- ฐHigh
Tho Than
th
ฐาน — pedestal — high class, th- initial
- ฑLow
Tho Montho
th
มณโฑ — Montho (Ramayana) — low class, th- initial
- ฒLow
Tho Phuthao
th
ผู้เฒ่า — old man — low class, th- initial
- ณLow
No Nen
n
เณร — novice monk — low class, n- initial
- ดMid
Do Dek
d
เด็ก — child — mid class, d- initial
- ตMid
To Tao
dt
เต่า — turtle — mid class, dt- initial
- ถHigh
Tho Thung
th
ถุง — bag — high class, th- initial
- ทLow
Tho Thahan
th
ทหาร — soldier — low class, th- initial
- ธLow
Tho Thong
th
ธง — flag — low class, th- initial
- นLow
No Nu
n
หนู — mouse — low class, n- initial
- บMid
Bo Baimai
b
ใบไม้ — leaf — mid class, b- initial
- ปMid
Po Pla
bp
ปลา — fish — mid class, bp- initial
Lookalike · ป / บ
Looks a lot like บ
บ and ป share the same two-hump body. You already know บ (Bo Baimai). ป (Po Pla) is the open one — the bottom of the right bowl does not close.
Closed bottom → บ · open bottom → ป
- ผHigh
Pho Phung
ph
ผึ้ง — bee — high class, ph- initial
- ฝHigh
Fo Fa
f
ฝา — lid — high class, f- initial
- พLow
Pho Phan
ph
พาน — offering tray — low class, ph- initial
- ฟLow
Fo Fan
f
ฟัน — tooth — low class, f- initial
- ภLow
Pho Samphao
ph
สำเภา — junk boat — low class, ph- initial
- มLow
Mo Ma
m
ม้า — horse — low class, m- initial
- ยLow
Yo Yak
y
ยักษ์ — giant — low class, y- initial
- รLow
Ro Rua
r
เรือ — boat — low class, r- initial
- ลLow
Lo Ling
l
ลิง — monkey — low class, l- initial
- วLow
Wo Waen
w
แหวน — ring — low class, w- initial
- ศHigh
So Sala
s
ศาลา — pavilion — high class, s- initial
- ษHigh
So Ruesi
s
ฤๅษี — hermit — high class, s- initial
- สHigh
So Suea
s
เสือ — tiger — high class, s- initial
- หHigh
Ho Hip
h
หีบ — chest — high class, h- initial
- ฬLow
Lo Chula
l
จุฬา — kite — low class, l- initial
- อMid
O Ang
—
อ่าง — basin — mid class; also used as a vowel
- ฮLow
Ho Nokhuk
h
นกฮูก — owl — low class, h- initial
Obsolete consonants
Rarely used in modern Thai — shown for completeness.
- ฃObsolete
Kho Khuat
kh
ขวด — bottle — obsolete letter (same kh- sound as ข)
- ฅObsolete
Kho Khon
kh
คน — person — obsolete letter (same kh- sound as ค)
Vowels — short & long (Unit 1)
Marks after and above the consonant · กะ กา กิ กี
- กะ
Sara A (short)
a
นะ — polite particle — short "a" sound
- กา
Sara Aa (long)
aa
มา — come — long "aa" after the consonant
- กิ
Sara I (short)
i
กิน — eat
- กี
Sara Ii (long)
ii
ดี — good — long "ii" above the consonant
Lookalike · กี / กิ
Same place as ิ — just longer
Both sit above the consonant. ิ is the short “i”; ี is the long “ii”. Same slot, different length — tone and syllable “live/dead” rules care.
Short arc → ิ · longer stroke → ี
Vowels — below & left (Unit 1)
Marks below and before the consonant · กุ กู เก แก
- กุ
Sara U (short)
u
ดุ — scold
- กู
Sara Uu (long)
uu
ดู — look / watch — long "uu" below the consonant
Lookalike · กู / กุ
Same place as ุ — just longer
Both hang below the consonant. ุ is short “u”; ู is long “uu”. Do not treat them as two different vowel positions.
Short curl → ุ · longer curl → ู
- เก
Sara E
e
เธอ — you — เ is written to the left of the consonant
- แก
Sara Ae
ae
แมว — cat — แ is written to the left of the consonant
Lookalike · แก / เก
Looks like a double เ
เ is one left-side mark (“e”). แ is two matching strokes side by side (“ae”). Both are written before the consonant; speech still starts with the consonant sound.
One left stroke → เ · two left strokes → แ
More vowels (8)
- กึ
Sara Ue (short)
ue
มึง — you (informal)
- กื
Sara Ue (long)
uee
มือ — hand — long "ue" above the consonant
- โก
Sara O
o
โต — big / grow up — โ is written to the left of the consonant
- กอ
Sara O (closing)
aw
กอ — letter ก + closing vowel — อ follows the consonant
- ใก
Sara Ai Mai Muan
ai
ใจ — heart — ใ is written to the left (only ~20 words use ใ)
- ไก
Sara Ai Mai Malai
ai
ไป — go — ไ is written to the left of the consonant
- กัก์
Sara An
an
กัน — each other — ◌ั above + ์ after the consonant
- กำ
Sara Am
am
ทำ — do / make — circle above + tail (like ◌า + ◌ม)
Low class — nasals (Unit 2)
ง น ม — always Low. Fuels มา มี นอน and numbers like หนึ่ง. Non-obvious: ง is “ng” even at the start of a syllable.
- งLow
Ngo Ngu
ng
งู — snake — low class, ng- initial
- นLow
No Nu
n
หนู — mouse — low class, n- initial
- มLow
Mo Ma
m
ม้า — horse — low class, m- initial
Low class — y r l w (Unit 2)
ย ร ล ว for teens (ยี่สิบ), วัน, and เรา. Final ร often softens in speech — you will meet that in เท่าไหร่.
- ยLow
Yo Yak
y
ยักษ์ — giant — low class, y- initial
- รLow
Ro Rua
r
เรือ — boat — low class, r- initial
- ลLow
Lo Ling
l
ลิง — monkey — low class, l- initial
- วLow
Wo Waen
w
แหวน — ring — low class, w- initial
High class — ask (Unit 2)
ข ฉ ถ — crimson stripe. Needed for ขอ and asking politely; ข vs ค is the classic High/Low same-sound pair.
- ขHigh
Kho Khai
kh
ไข่ — egg — high class, kh- initial
- ฉHigh
Cho Ching
ch
ฉิ่ง — cymbal — high class, ch- initial
- ถHigh
Tho Thung
th
ถุง — bag — high class, th- initial
High class — soft (Unit 2)
ผ ฝ ห. Non-obvious: ผม starts with ผ, not พ — same “ph” family, different class and spelling.
- ผHigh
Pho Phung
ph
ผึ้ง — bee — high class, ph- initial
- ฝHigh
Fo Fa
f
ฝา — lid — high class, f- initial
- หHigh
Ho Hip
h
หีบ — chest — high class, h- initial
High class — s & ฐ (Unit 2)
ฐ ศ ษ ส finish High. ศ ษ ส all sound like “s”; ส unlocks สวัสดี and สอง. ฐ adds a hanging pedestal — body first, then the base.
- ฐHigh
Tho Than
th
ฐาน — pedestal — high class, th- initial
- ศHigh
So Sala
s
ศาลา — pavilion — high class, s- initial
- ษHigh
So Ruesi
s
ฤๅษี — hermit — high class, s- initial
- สHigh
So Suea
s
เสือ — tiger — high class, s- initial
Low class — food letters (Unit 3)
ค ช ซ for café and market words. ค↔ข · ช↔ฉ · ซ ~ ส.
- คLow
Kho Khwaai
kh
ควาย — water buffalo — low class, kh- initial
- ชLow
Cho Chang
ch
ช้าง — elephant — low class, ch- initial
- ซLow
So So
s
โซ่ — chain — low class, s- initial (loanwords)
Low class — ท พ (Unit 3)
ท พ for prices and body words. ท↔ถ · พ↔ผ.
- ทLow
Tho Thahan
th
ทหาร — soldier — low class, th- initial
- พLow
Pho Phan
ph
พาน — offering tray — low class, ph- initial
Low class — ฟ ฮ (Unit 3)
ฟ ฮ finish everyday Low aspirates. ฟ↔ฝ · ฮ↔ห.
- ฟLow
Fo Fan
f
ฟัน — tooth — low class, f- initial
- ฮLow
Ho Nokhuk
h
นกฮูก — owl — low class, h- initial
Mid class — lookalikes (Unit 4)
ฎ and ฏ finish Mid — curls under ด/ต lookalikes.
- ฎMid
Do Chada
d
ชฎา — dance hat — mid class, d- initial
- ฏMid
To Patak
dt
ปฏัก — harpoon — mid class, dt- initial
Low class — rare A (Unit 4)
ฆ ฌ ญ — less common Low letters.
- ฆLow
Kho Rakhang
kh
ระฆัง — temple bell — low class, kh- initial
- ฌLow
Cho Cho
ch
เฌอ — tree — low class, ch- initial
- ญLow
Yo Ying
y
หญิง — woman — low class, y- initial
Low class — rare B (Unit 4)
ฑ ฒ ณ — ณ is the letter inside คุณ.
- ฑLow
Tho Montho
th
มณโฑ — Montho (Ramayana) — low class, th- initial
- ฒLow
Tho Phuthao
th
ผู้เฒ่า — old man — low class, th- initial
- ณLow
No Nen
n
เณร — novice monk — low class, n- initial
Low class — rare C (Unit 4)
ธ ภ ฬ finish Low for modern Thai.
- ธLow
Tho Thong
th
ธง — flag — low class, th- initial
- ภLow
Pho Samphao
ph
สำเภา — junk boat — low class, ph- initial
- ฬLow
Lo Chula
l
จุฬา — kite — low class, l- initial
Tone marks
Four written marks · five spoken tones (mid often has no mark).
- ก่
Mai Ek
low tone
ค่า — value/price — low tone on this syllable
- ก้
Mai Tho
falling tone
ค้า — trade — falling tone on this syllable
- ก๊
Mai Tri
high tone
จ๊ะ — polite particle — high tone on this syllable
- ก๋
Mai Chattawa
rising tone
จ๋า — dear/honey — rising tone on this syllable
The five tones
Mid
No written mark (default)
กาmid tone — "crow"
Low
Mark: Mai Ek (ก่)
ค่าvalue / price
Falling
Mark: Mai Tho (ก้)
ค้าto trade
High
Mark: Mai Tri (ก๊)
จ๊ะpolite particle
Rising
Mark: Mai Chattawa (ก๋)
จ๋าdear / honey