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Different Tones, Different Meanings in Thai

Blog Image_Different Tones, Different Meanings

Why Thai Tones Matter!

Did you know that saying “maa” the wrong way could mean “horse” instead of “come”? 🤯

Thai is a tonal language, meaning the way you pronounce a word changes its meaning completely! For beginners, this can be tricky, but don’t worry—I’ll break it down in an easy, practical way.

By the end of this blog, you’ll:

✅ Understand the 5 Thai tones
✅ Learn common tone mistakes (and how to avoid them)
✅ Practice with fun and useful examples

Let’s get started! 🚀

Table of Contents

The 5 Thai Tones Explained

Thai is a total language. It means that the meaning of a word is defined by tone of the syllable. There are in total 5 tones in Thai which are: 

💡 Pro tip: With the English transliteration, you can see the symbol on top of the vowel. The symbols define the tone of the syllable. Unless, there is no symbol, the tone of the syllable is flat.

Tone Thai Example Transliteration Meaning
Mid Tone มา maa Come
Low Tone หม่า màa
Falling Tone ม่า mâa Grandma
High Tone ม้า máa Horse
Rising Tone หมา mǎ Dog

⭐️ Notice how changing the tone completely changes the meaning of the word!

Tone Comparison with Real-World Examples

1. ข้าว (kâao) vs. ขาว (kǎao)

  • ข้าว (kâao) [Falling Tone] = Rice 🍚
  • ขาว (kǎao) [Rising Tone] = White

✅ Example Sentence:

  • ฉันกินข้าว (chǎn gin kâao.) = I eat rice.
  • เสื้อตัวนี้สีขาว (Sûea tua níi sǐi kǎao.) = This shirt is white.

2. ใกล้ (glâi) vs. ไกล (glai)

  • ใกล้ (Glâi) [Falling Tone] = Near
  • ไกล (Glai) [Mid Tone] = Far

✅ Example Sentence:

  • บ้านของฉันอยู่ใกล้ตลาด (bâan kǎawng chǎn yùu glâi dtà-làat.)
    = My house is near the market.
  • เชียงใหม่ไกลจากกรุงเทพ (Chiiang-mài glai jàak grung-têep.)
    = Chiang Mai is far from Bangkok.

3. สวย (sǔay) vs. ซวย (suay)

  • สวย (sǔay) [Rising Tone] = beautiful 
  • ซวย (suay) [Flat tone] = unlucky

✅ Example Sentence:

  • คุณสวยมาก (kun sǔay mâak)
    = You’re very beautiful. 
  • วันนี้เป็นวันซวย ๆ (wan-níi bpen wan suay-suay)
    = Today is an unlucky day. 

4. หมา (mǎa) vs. ม้า (máa)

  • หมา (mǎa) [Rising Tone] = Dog 🐕
  • ม้า (máa) [High tone] = Horse 🐎

✅ Example Sentence:

  • ฉันมีหมาสามตัว (chǎn mii mǎa sǎam dtua)
    = I have three dogs. 
  • เขาชอบขี่ม้า (kǎo châawp kìi máa)
    = He likes horse riding.    

4. ป่า (bpàa) vs. ป้า (bpâa)

  • ป่า (bpà) [Low Tone] = Forest, Jungle
  • ป้า (bpâa) [Falling tone] = Aunt

✅ Example Sentence:

  • ฉันชอบเดินป่าเวลาว่าง (chǎn châawp duuhn-bpàa wee-laa wâang)
    = I like to walk in the forest (trekking) in the free time.   
  • ฉันไปหาป้าที่บ้าน (chǎn bpai hǎa bpâa tîi bâan)
    = I visit my aunt at her home.   

Related Sources

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