The Thai alphabet: all 44 consonants

The 44 consonants

Each letter has a name made of its sound plus a word that starts with it. Thai children learn ก ไก่ as ko kai, "chicken". The name tells you the sound and gives you a picture to remember it by. The tiles below are in dictionary order, the order ThaiCards teaches them.

• กก ไก่ko kai, chickenmid class Sound: kFree in the app
• ขข ไข่kho khai, egghigh class Sound: khFree in the app
• ฃฃ ขวดkho khuat, bottlehigh class Sound: khFree in the app
• คค ควายkho khwai, water buffalolow class Sound: khFree in the app
• ฅฅ คนkho khon, personlow class Sound: khFree in the app
• ฆฆ ระฆังkho rakhang, belllow class Sound: khFree in the app
• งง งูngo ngu, snakelow class Sound: ngFree in the app
• จจ จานcho chan, platemid class Sound: chFree in the app
• ฉฉ ฉิ่งcho ching, small cymbalshigh class Sound: chFree in the app
• ชช ช้างcho chang, elephantlow class Sound: chFree in the app
• ซซ โซ่so so, chainlow class Sound: s
• ฌฌ เฌอcho choe, treelow class Sound: ch
• ญญ หญิงyo ying, womanlow class Sound: y
• ฎฎ ชฎาdo chada, headdressmid class Sound: d
• ฏฏ ปฏักto patak, goadmid class Sound: t
• ฐฐ ฐานtho than, pedestalhigh class Sound: th
• ฑฑ มณโฑtho montho, Montholow class Sound: th
• ฒฒ ผู้เฒ่าtho phu thao, elderlow class Sound: th
• ณณ เณรno nen, novice monklow class Sound: n
• ดด เด็กdo dek, childmid class Sound: d
• ตต เต่าto tao, turtlemid class Sound: t
• ถถ ถุงtho thung, baghigh class Sound: th
• ทท ทหารtho thahan, soldierlow class Sound: th
• ธธ ธงtho thong, flaglow class Sound: th
• นน หนูno nu, mouselow class Sound: n
• บบ ใบไม้bo baimai, leafmid class Sound: b
• ปป ปลาpo pla, fishmid class Sound: p
• ผผ ผึ้งpho phueng, beehigh class Sound: ph
• ฝฝ ฝาfo fa, lidhigh class Sound: f
• พพ พานpho phan, ceremonial traylow class Sound: ph
• ฟฟ ฟันfo fan, toothlow class Sound: f
• ภภ สำเภาpho samphao, sailing junklow class Sound: ph
• มม ม้าmo ma, horselow class Sound: m
• ยย ยักษ์yo yak, giantlow class Sound: y
• รร เรือro ruea, boatlow class Sound: r
• ลล ลิงlo ling, monkeylow class Sound: l
• วว แหวนwo waen, ringlow class Sound: w
• ศศ ศาลาso sala, pavilionhigh class Sound: s
• ษษ ฤๅษีso ruesi, hermithigh class Sound: s
• สส เสือso suea, tigerhigh class Sound: s
• หห หีบho hip, chesthigh class Sound: h
• ฬฬ จุฬาlo chula, kitelow class Sound: l
• ออ อ่างo ang, basinmid class Sound: (silent)
• ฮฮ นกฮูกho nok huk, owllow class Sound: h

Mid, high and low class

Every consonant belongs to one of three classes. The class does not change how the letter sounds on its own. It changes the tone of the syllable the letter starts, which is why Thai learners memorize it with the letter. The tone rules start from here.

Several letters share one sound but sit in different classes. That is how Thai spelling shows tone: the high-class and low-class versions of kh give different tones to the same syllable.

Two letters you will not see

ฃ (bottle) and ฅ (person) are obsolete. They keep their place in the alphabet, so you still learn their names, but modern Thai spells those words with other letters.

How to learn them

1. Learn the letter with its name word, not on its own. The picture is the hook.
2. Learn the class at the same time. Coming back to add it later means learning every letter twice.
3. Review a few letters a day and let spaced repetition bring back the ones you miss.
4. Read real words early. The most common Thai words use most of the everyday letters.

Vowels are written around these consonants. See the Thai vowels guide.