Nine short and long vowel pairs
Each row pairs the same vowel quality in a short and a long form. Length can distinguish Thai words, so listen for it as part of the word, not as an optional speaking style.
The dotted circle ◌ shows where the initial consonant belongs. Read the whole pattern: a vowel sign written to the left of the consonant is still pronounced after that consonant.
| Short spelling | Short sound (IPA) | Long spelling | Long sound (IPA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ◌ะ | /a/ | ◌า | /aː/ |
| ◌ิ | /i/ | ◌ี | /iː/ |
| ◌ึ | /ɯ/ | ◌ือ | /ɯː/ |
| ◌ุ | /u/ | ◌ู | /uː/ |
| เ◌ะ | /e/ | เ◌ | /eː/ |
| แ◌ะ | /ɛ/ | แ◌ | /ɛː/ |
| โ◌ะ | /o/ | โ◌ | /oː/ |
| เ◌าะ | /ɔ/ | ◌อ | /ɔː/ |
| เ◌อะ | /ɤ/ | เ◌อ | /ɤː/ |
The dotted circle ◌ stands for the initial consonant. The simple-vowel and diphthong tables show common forms without a written final consonant, not complete words. /ː/ marks length. Tone and the glottal ending of short syllables without a written final consonant are not shown in these vowel symbols.
Three diphthong pairs
A diphthong moves between two vowel qualities within one syllable. These common teaching pairs use เอีย, เอือ and อัว as their long forms, with ะ added to show the short forms.
Short diphthongs are much less common than the long forms and often occur in expressive words or loans. The table is a spelling reference; it does not suggest that all six forms are equally frequent.
| Short spelling | Short sound (IPA) | Long spelling | Long sound (IPA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| เ◌ียะ | /ia/ | เ◌ีย | /iːa/ |
| เ◌ือะ | /ɯa/ | เ◌ือ | /ɯːa/ |
| ◌ัวะ | /ua/ | ◌ัว | /uːa/ |
The dotted circle ◌ stands for the initial consonant. The simple-vowel and diphthong tables show common forms without a written final consonant, not complete words. /ː/ marks length. Tone and the glottal ending of short syllables without a written final consonant are not shown in these vowel symbols.
More spellings you will meet
Thai teaching charts count vowels in different ways: some count sounds, others include combinations of written signs and final sounds. The tables here separate simple vowel pairs, diphthongs and four common additional spellings.
Rare traditional forms ฤ, ฤๅ, ฦ and ฦๅ are outside these beginner tables. Their use and pronunciation need word-specific guidance; they should not be treated as ordinary short and long vowel pairs.
| Spelling | Sound (IPA) |
|---|---|
| ◌ำ | /am/ |
| ใ◌ | /aj/ |
| ไ◌ | /aj/ |
| เ◌า | /aw/ |
These spellings include a final sound: ำ /am/, ใ◌ and ไ◌ /aj/, เ◌า /aw/. ใ◌ and ไ◌ share the same sound, but their spellings are not interchangeable.
What changes before a final consonant?
The simple-vowel and diphthong tables show common forms without a written final consonant. In closed syllables, short /a/ commonly uses ◌ั instead of ◌ะ; long /ɯː/ uses ◌ื before the final consonant instead of the open-syllable form ◌ือ.
Other vowels can change or omit written signs too, including /o/ and /ua/. Do not attach a final consonant mechanically to every form in the chart. Check the complete spelling and recording of a real word.
Try it yourself
Listen for vowel length
- Choose a short-vowel word and a long-vowel word from a lesson with checked recordings.
- Find their vowel patterns in the chart. Notice any different spelling before a final consonant.
- Listen and repeat each whole word, keeping its tone. Return to the recordings to compare the vowel lengths.
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.
- Kasetsart University, Rajanagarindra Institute of Linguistics and Cultural StudiesThai Sound System Online: Comparison of Acoustic Vowels
- Northern Illinois University, SEAsiteMaanii Lesson 15: Structure
- Chulalongkorn University, Faculty of Arts, LinguisticsPrinciples of Romanization for Thai Script by Transcription Method
- Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Research RepositoryThai Vowel System discussion in thesis 141391
