There are 28 simple vowels, including 12 each in a short and a long version. Not for each vowel is an own vowel sign available so that some are composed of several characters. In this case, it is important that the vowel characters are regarded as a unit. A decomposition into individual characters is not permitted, as in part the result of the individual characters have a completely different sound.

To name a vowel, the word สระ [sa\ ra\ ] = vowel, followed by the sound of the character is spoken.

The red O ANG in the following pictures indicate only the position of the consonant. However, Black O ANG are part of the vowel combination.

 

Short vowel Long vowel
a
SARA A  
a:
SARA AA  
i
SARA I  
i:
SARA II  
eu
SARA Ü  
eu:
SARA ÜÜ  
u
SARA U  
u:
SARA UU  
e
SARA E  
e:
SARA EE  
ae
SARA Ä  
ae:
SARA ÄÄ  
o
SARA O  
o:
SARA OO  
aw
SARA Ô  
a:w
SARA ÔÔ  
ua
SARA UA  
ua:
SARA UUA  
ia
SARA IA  
i:a
SARA IIA  
eua
SARA ÜA  
eu:a
SARA ÜÜA  
oe
SARA Ö  
oe:
SARA ÖÖ  
am
SARA AM  
   
   
ai
SARA AI MAIMALAY  
   
   
ai
SARA AI MAIMUAN  
   
   
au
SARA AU  
   
   

 

Two or three characters composite vowel combinations. They must be regarded and learned as a unit.

 

e
ae
oe:
io
a:i
a:o
eu
e:u
aeu
ae:u
a:wy
o:y
oe:y
uay
iao
euay

 

Rarely used vowels in consonantal characters with examples:

Short vowel Long vowel

reu

RO RÜ

ฤษี = reu/ si:\/

ฤๅ

reu:

RO RÜ:

ฤาษี = reu:-- si:\/

ri

RO RÜ

 
 

RO RÜ

ฤกษ์ roe:k/\

LO LÜ

No Thai word with short LO LÜ

ฦๅ

leu:

LO LÜ:

ฦๅสาย leu:-- sa:y\/

รร

a
รอหัน
Double RO RUA = ra:w-- han\/
with following consonant
สรรพ sap\
 

รร

an

รอหัน
Double RO RUA = ra:w-- han\/
without following consonant

สรรหา san\/ ha:\/
สวรรค์ sa\ wan\/

 

 

Change in the notation for vowels

The spelling of some vowels in the word may change to address problematic cases.

The short vowel -ะ (วิสรรชนีย์) is used only if the syllable has no final consonant. Example: จะ [dja\]. In syllables with final consonant, the character ไม้หันอากาศ is used. Example: จัก [jak\].

The character -ะ is also used to shorten long vowels like เ-ะ [e] and แ-ะ [ae]. In syllables with final consonants, however, it is replaced by (ไม้ไต่คู้) [may/tay\khu:/]. Therefore, instead of เปะน [pen-], เป็น [pen-] is written.

For the vowel combination เ-า [ao] the วิสรรชนีย์ is not used to short (it is short already), it becomes an entirely different vowel: เ-าะ is the short [aw]. Does the modified syllable also has a tone mark (ไม้โท) [may/ tho:--], this changes also the spelling. เก้าะ is changed to ก็ [gaw/\ ]. This is an absolute exception, because it is only this one word to which the rule applies.

The vowel combination -ัว [ua] is so written only if no final consonant in the syllable follows: หัว [hu:a\/]. Together with a final consonant, ไม้หันอากาศ, and the character comes directly between the initial and final consonant: รวย [ru:ai--], ด้วย [du:ai/\].

 

Unwritten vowels

Under certain circumstances, vowels are spoken where not found written. A familiar example is the word for street: ถนน [tha\ non\/]. Here are both a short "a" and a short "o" is inserted in speaking. Two rules are determined for that:

1.) If a syllable has only two consonants, so the initial and final consonant directly consecutive, will be a short "o" spoken in between.

2.) When the initial consonant of a syllable is preceded by another consonant, which acts neither as tone mark (ย, อ) nor can be spoken fluently together with the second consonant, there is spoken a short 'a' after the first consonant.

In order to avoid mistakes, it is of utmost importance to determine the syllable boundaries within a compound word exactly. Otherwise, it could read from the example ถนน [tha\ non\/] a word like [thon-- na/]which is wrong.

With true clusters at the beginning of a syllable there is no insertet "a", because this consonants can be spoken together without a twist in the tongue. For more about clusters see here.

Exeption:At the word for company บริษัท [bô:-- ri/ sat\ ] the first two consonants can be spoken together as [bri\ sat\], in other words บร at the beginning like บราทุกรา [bra:-- thu/ gra:-- ] or บรึ๋ย [breui\/] they will be spoken together (although this double initial consonant is not defined as true cluster). Nicht jedoch bei บริษัท [bô:-- ri/ sat\ ]. Moreover, no "a" but "a:w"is inserted. This exception applies to Thai words that begin with บริ-, but not to English loanwords like บริเตน [bri\ te:n--] (Britain) oder บริดจ์ [brit\] (Bridge). In addition, the exemption also applies to many Thai words that begin with มร-. Examples: มรณะ [ma:w-- ra/ na/ ] and มรกต [ma:w-- ra/ got\ ]. Another word to which this exception applies, I have found จระเข้ [dja:w\ ra/ khe:/\ ] - probably there are more of them. It is necessary even more to learn these words in its entirety.

 

 

 

 

 

Vowels and vowel combinations
Vowels are set in the Thai script either before or after the preceding consonant or below or above. Together with an additional tone mark can thus be assigned up to two levels above the consonants. Vowels are written never alone without consonants. If necessary, as in the tables and charts, the consonant O ANG is used as a silent vowel carrier.

 

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