Thai has many compound vowels (สระประสม) — vowel sounds that glide smoothly from one quality to another. These are called diphthongs. In this lesson, you'll learn diphthongs that end with an "i" or "u" sound.
A diphthong is a vowel sound that transitions within a single syllable:
Thai has many more diphthongs than English!
These vowels glide toward an "i" sound:
Thai has two vowels that both sound like "ai":
| ใ (mai muan) | ไ (mai malai) |
|---|---|
| ใจ (jai) — heart | ไก่ (gài) — chicken |
| ใน (nai) — in | ไป (bpai) — to go |
| ให้ (hâi) — to give | ไหม (mǎi) — silk, question particle |
| ใหม่ (mài) — new | ไม่ (mâi) — not |
| ใช้ (chái) — to use | ได้ (dâai) — can, able |
Memory tip: Learn the 20 ใ words; everything else uses ไ.
These vowels glide toward a "u" or "o" sound:
The key is to make a smooth glide between the two vowel qualities:
| Vowel | Start | End | Like English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ใ/ไ (ai) | "ah" | "ee" | "I" or "eye" |
| เ-า (ao) | "ah" | "oo" | "ow" in "cow" |
| ิว (iu) | "ee" | "oo" | "ew" in "few" |
| เ-ว (eo) | "ay" | "oo" | No equivalent |
| Written | Breakdown | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| ไก | ก + ไ | gai |
| เขา | ข + เ-า | khǎo |
| กิว | ก + ิว | giu |
| เมา | ม + เ-า | mao |
Here are the most common words using ใ:
In Lesson 6, you'll learn more compound vowels and special vowel combinations that complete your vowel knowledge.