Thai — free text-to-speech & real native pronunciation

Thai Sounds Missing in English

Thai Words That Trip People Up

• 🔊เกาะ The final ะ misleads English speakers into adding an extra vowel; it actually ends in a short open vowel with a glottal stop.
• 🔊หอม The ห is silent here and does not add an h sound; the word begins directly with the o vowel.
• 🔊รู้ The ร misleads as a simple English r; it is actually a light trill or tap at the start.
• 🔊พูด The พ looks like a p but is an aspirated ph sound; English speakers often drop the strong puff of air.
• 🔊ไหม The ไ suggests a long vowel but the word ends with a short, abrupt m sound.
• 🔊อะไร The ร at the beginning is often misread as a plain English r; it requires a trill or tap.
• 🔊ทำไม The ทำ uses a short a vowel that English speakers lengthen, and the ไม ends with an unexpected short i.
• 🔊อย่างไร the silent letter at the start is อ (o ang) before ย
• 🔊เพราะ The ร in เพราะ is trilled and the final sound is a short o, not the English 'raw' pronunciation.
• 🔊หรือ The ห is silent and the ร is a trill; English speakers often merge it with a plain r sound.
• 🔊แห่ง The ห is silent at the start and the ง is a final velar nasal that feels abrupt without a following vowel.
• 🔊หนึ่ง The หนึ่ง has a final ng that English speakers often pronounce with an extra vowel or as a plain n.

Hear the Difference

• 🔊ไก่ / 🔊ไข่ ไก่ uses an unaspirated k while ไข่ uses an aspirated kh; English speakers tend to merge both as the same k sound.
• 🔊ดี / 🔊ตี ดี has an unaspirated d-like stop while ตี has an unaspirated t; English speakers often fail to hear the dental t versus the stop.
• 🔊ป่า / 🔊บ่า ป่า starts with an unaspirated p while บ่า starts with an unaspirated b; English speakers merge them because both lack strong aspiration.
• 🔊ปา / 🔊พา ปา uses an unaspirated p while พา uses an aspirated ph; English speakers tend to ignore the puff of air that distinguishes them.
• 🔊ขาว / 🔊ข้าว ขาว has a short vowel while ข้าว has a long vowel with a following glottal; English speakers often shorten the long vowel and drop the stop.