Thai vowels: symbols, sounds and examples
Thai vowels are marks written around a consonant. Here is each symbol with its name, its sound and a real word that uses it.
The vowel symbols
The dotted circle ◌ stands for the consonant the vowel attaches to. The example for each symbol is the first word in the ThaiCards teaching order that uses it.
| Symbol | Name | Sound | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ◌ะ | สระ อะ sara a | a (short) | Short | ค่ะ ka polite particle (f) |
| ◌ั | ไม้หันอากาศ mai han akat | a (short) | Short | สวัสดี sa wat di hello |
| ◌า | สระ อา sara aa | aa (long) | Long | มา ma to come |
| ◌ำ | สระ อำ sara am | am | Vowel plus final | ทำไม tam mai why |
| ◌ิ | สระ อิ sara i | i (short) | Short | กิน kin to eat |
| ◌ี | สระ อี sara ii | ii (long) | Long | สวัสดี sa wat di hello |
| ◌ึ | สระ อึ sara ue | ue (short) | Short | หนึ่ง neung one |
| ◌ื | สระ อือ sara uee | uee (long) | Long | คือ khue to be (namely) |
| ◌ุ | สระ อุ sara u | u (short) | Short | ขอบคุณ khop khun thank you |
| ◌ู | สระ อู sara uu | uu (long) | Long | อยู่ yoo to be at / stay |
| เ◌ | สระ เอ sara e | e/eh | Written before the consonant | เล่น len to play |
| แ◌ | สระ แอ sara ae | ae | Written before the consonant | แต่ tae but |
| โ◌ | สระ โอ sara o | o/oh | Written before the consonant | ขอโทษ kho thot sorry / excuse me |
| ใ◌ | สระ ใอ sara ai mai malai | ai | Written before the consonant | ใช่ chai yes / that's right |
| ไ◌ | สระ ไอ sara ai mai muan | ai | Written before the consonant | ไม่ mai no / not |
| ฤ | ฤ rue | rue/ri | Special letter | วันพฤหัสบดี wan pha rue hat sa baw dee Thursday |
| ฤๅ | ฤๅ rue (long) | ruee | Special letter | rare in everyday words |
| ฦ | ฦ lue | lue | Special letter | rare in everyday words |
Where vowels go
A Thai vowel can sit after, above, below or before its consonant, and some vowels use two symbols on either side. You always say the consonant first, even when the vowel is written first. The vowels เ แ โ ใ ไ are written before the consonant: in ใช่ chai, "yes / that's right", you read the consonant, then the vowel.
Length matters. Short and long versions of a vowel are different sounds, and length also changes the tone of some syllables. See Thai tones.
How to learn them
Learn vowels inside words, not as a chart. Once you know the consonants, the most common words give you every everyday vowel in context, and ThaiCards lets you tap any character on a card to see its name and sound.
Practice this in ThaiCards
Tap any letter or vowel on a ThaiCards flashcard to see its name, sound and class, and learn the vowels inside real words.
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