The 44 Thai consonants
Use the chart to find a letter, its Thai name and its consonant class. The initial column shows the usual sound at the start of a syllable; the final column shows its usual sound at the end.
The traditional alphabet includes ฃ and ฅ, although they are no longer used in ordinary modern spelling. Their rows are marked obsolete. Different letters can represent the same sound.
| Letter / Thai name | Class | Initial sound (IPA) | Final sound (IPA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| กก ไก่ | Middle | /k/ | /k̚/ |
| ขข ไข่ | High | /kʰ/ | /k̚/ |
| ฃฃ ขวดObsolete | High | /kʰ/ | ∅ |
| คค ควาย | Low | /kʰ/ | /k̚/ |
| ฅฅ คนObsolete | Low | /kʰ/ | ∅ |
| ฆฆ ระฆัง | Low | /kʰ/ | /k̚/ |
| งง งู | Low | /ŋ/ | /ŋ/ |
| จจ จาน | Middle | /tɕ/ | /t̚/ |
| ฉฉ ฉิ่ง | High | /tɕʰ/ | ∅ |
| ชช ช้าง | Low | /tɕʰ/ | /t̚/ |
| ซซ โซ่ | Low | /s/ | /t̚/ |
| ฌฌ เฌอ | Low | /tɕʰ/ | ∅ |
| ญญ หญิง | Low | /j/ | /n/ |
| ฎฎ ชฎา | Middle | /d/ | /t̚/ |
| ฏฏ ปฏัก | Middle | /t/ | /t̚/ |
| ฐฐ ฐาน | High | /tʰ/ | /t̚/ |
| ฑฑ นางมณโฑ | Low | /tʰ, d/ | /t̚/ |
| ฒฒ ผู้เฒ่า | Low | /tʰ/ | /t̚/ |
| ณณ เณร | Low | /n/ | /n/ |
| ดด เด็ก | Middle | /d/ | /t̚/ |
| ตต เต่า | Middle | /t/ | /t̚/ |
| ถถ ถุง | High | /tʰ/ | /t̚/ |
| ทท ทหาร | Low | /tʰ/ | /t̚/ |
| ธธ ธง | Low | /tʰ/ | /t̚/ |
| นน หนู | Low | /n/ | /n/ |
| บบ ใบไม้ | Middle | /b/ | /p̚/ |
| ปป ปลา | Middle | /p/ | /p̚/ |
| ผผ ผึ้ง | High | /pʰ/ | ∅ |
| ฝฝ ฝา | High | /f/ | ∅ |
| พพ พาน | Low | /pʰ/ | /p̚/ |
| ฟฟ ฟัน | Low | /f/ | /p̚/ |
| ภภ สำเภา | Low | /pʰ/ | /p̚/ |
| มม ม้า | Low | /m/ | /m/ |
| ยย ยักษ์ | Low | /j/ | /j/ |
| รร เรือ | Low | /r/ | /n/ |
| ลล ลิง | Low | /l/ | /n/ |
| วว แหวน | Low | /w/ | /w/ |
| ศศ ศาลา | High | /s/ | /t̚/ |
| ษษ ฤๅษี | High | /s/ | /t̚/ |
| สส เสือ | High | /s/ | /t̚/ |
| หห หีบ | High | /h/ | ∅ |
| ฬฬ จุฬา | Low | /l/ | /n/ |
| ออ อ่าง | Middle | /ʔ/ | ∅ |
| ฮฮ นกฮูก | Low | /h/ | ∅ |
∅: Not used as a regular final consonant
The sounds in slashes use the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), not English letter names. A final consonant is a syllable ending. ย /j/ and ว /w/ are final glides, often described as parts of vowel spellings. The chart shows common values; words and consonant clusters can follow additional rules. The mark in /p̚/, /t̚/ and /k̚/ means that the final stop is not released.
What do the three consonant classes mean?
There are nine middle-class, eleven high-class and twenty-four low-class consonants. These groups are spelling categories, not instructions to pronounce every letter with a middle, high or low tone.
To find a syllable’s tone, combine its consonant class with its tone mark, vowel length and ending. A consonant chart is a reference for one part of that process; a tone guide explains how the parts work together.
Read initial and final sounds separately
The same letter can have different initial and final values. For example, บ is /b/ initially but /p/ finally; ด is /d/ initially but /t/ finally. Final /p/, /t/ and /k/ are unreleased: do not add another vowel after them.
In IPA, /tʰ/, /pʰ/ and /kʰ/ mean consonants with a puff of air. They do not mean English “th” or “ph”. ฑ can begin a word with /tʰ/ or /d/. อ can mark a glottal onset /ʔ/ and also acts as a vowel carrier or part of a vowel spelling.
Use the chart with a whole word
Find one word whose spelling, meaning and recording you can check in a lesson. Identify its initial consonant, then look at the vowel signs around it. Use the vowel chart for the next step.
Listen to the whole syllable before practising it. This chart does not show every consonant cluster, silent letter or spelling exception, and IPA is a reference rather than an audio recording.
Try it yourself
Compare one initial and one final consonant
- Choose a familiar word from a lesson with a checked recording and Thai spelling.
- Look up its initial consonant. If it has a final consonant, compare that letter’s initial and final columns.
- Listen again, then say the whole word. Check the vowel and tone with the lesson instead of guessing from the consonant alone.
Sources & further reading
The references explain the language or learning research. These AI-assisted guides and exercises are ThaiHabit’s suggestions, not studies of the app. Some sources are in English.
