The Five Thai Tones
About Thai Tones
The Heart and Soul of the Thai Language
The Thai language is a tonal language. Tones are the core of the language. They are essential; as important as any vowel or any consonant. Tones distinguish the meaning of one word from another.
Each syllable is pronounced with one of five distinct tones – middle, low, falling, high, or rising. The middle tone starts at a middle pitch level, rises slightly and returns to mid-level. The low tone starts low and gradually falls even lower. The falling tone starts high and falls to a low pitch. The high tone rises to a peak and then drops. The rising tone starts at mid-level and gradually rises.
Learning the five tones can be difficult at first. Once you have
broken the tone barrier, you have grasped the core of the
Thai language. Persistence is the key.
- Author Aaron Handel
Tone Menu
The Five Tones using "gaw"
The Five Tones using "mai"
The Five Tone Trainer
Fun With Tones
Tone Practice from Chapter 1
What are the 5 tones called?
The Names of the Five Tones
The Thai Tone Rules
Get the Thai Audio App
The Five Tones using "gaw"
| In Thai schools, kids use "gaw" to drill this sequence of tones: | ||||
| gaw | gàw | gâw | gáw | găw |
| middle | low | falling | high | rising |
| Listen to the 5 tones using the "gaw" sound: | ||||
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The Five Thai Tones Video
Menu - Learn Thai Download |
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The Five Tones using "mai"
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From Chapter 1 of Thai Language Course:
The Five Thai Tones
| middle | low | falling | high | rising |
| mai ไมล์ |
mài ใหม่ |
mâi ไม่ |
mái ไม้ |
măi ไหม |
| mile | new | not | wood | no? |
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| Translation: Is the new mile not wood? * In this example, each word has a different tone, a different Thai spelling, and a different meaning. Tone Menu —► Really Learn to Speak Thai |
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Fun With Tones
| Têe | Chiang | Mài | mee | măi | mài | măi |
| falling | middle | low | middle | rising | low | rising |
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| Is there new silk in Chiang Mai? Literal: At Chiang Mai have silk new no? ที่ เชียง ใหม่ มี ไหม ใหม่ ไหม |
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Listen to:
FunWithTones.wma or
FunWithTones.mp3 Menu - TigerPressThai | ||||||
The Five Tone Trainer
Tone Practice
From Chapter 1 Tones and Transliteration
| low | middle | high | low | middle | high |
| yàhk อยาก |
reean เรียน |
róo รู้ |
yàhk อยาก |
reean เรียน |
róo รู้ |
| want | study | know | want | study | know |
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Translation: I want to learn! Tone Menu Or See The Best Software for Learning Thai |
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The Names of the Five Tones |
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| Middle tone |
Low tone | Falling tone | High tone | Rising tone |
| เสียง สามัญ |
เสียง เอก | เสียง โท | เสียง ตรี | เสียง จัตวา |
| sĕeang săhman |
sĕeang èk |
sĕeang toh |
sĕeang dtree |
sĕeang jut-dta-wah |
Thai Tone Rules |
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| Step 1: What is the class of the first consonant in the syllable? |
High Class G2 | Middle Class G1 | Low Class G3 |
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| Step 2: If there is a tone mark, the class and the tone mark determine the tone. |
-่ | low tone | low tone | falling tone |
| -้ | falling tone | falling tone | high tone | |
| -๊ | |
high tone | |
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| -๋ | |
rising tone | |
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| Step 3: If there is no tone mark, the class of the initial consonant and the ending sound of the syllable determine the tone. |
Live Ending (All ending sounds except K, P, T or a short vowel) | rising tone | middle tone | middle tone |
| Dead Ending (K, P, T sound after a long vowel) | low tone | low tone | falling tone | |
| Short vowel ending, or K, P, T sound after a short vowel | low tone | low tone | high tone | |
Thai tone rules are logical and almost always applicable. They can help you to figure out the tone of a word. In order to use these rules, you need to be familiar with the three consonant classes. A full explanation of the tone rules and lots of practice exercises are provided in Thai Language Course Program, Chapter 17 Learning to Write Thai.
Thai Phrase Book With Tones Audio Software
