Thai Alphabet Chart — Complete Reference for All 44 Consonants & 32 Vowels
This is the most complete interactive Thai alphabet chart available online. Every one of the 44 Thai consonants (พยัญชนะไทย) and all 32 vowel forms (สระไทย) are displayed in a single view with native audio pronunciation, tone class labels, Gor Gai mnemonics, romanized names, and meaning translations. Whether you're a beginner just starting Thai or an intermediate learner who needs a quick reference while reading, this page is designed to be your go-to resource.
Unlike static PDF charts, GorGai's alphabet chart is interactive — click or tap any character to hear exactly how it sounds from a native Thai speaker. Filter consonants by tone class (mid, high, low) or vowels by length (short, long) to focus on exactly what you're studying.
All 44 Thai Consonants — Complete Gor Gai Chart with Tone Classes
The Thai alphabet has 44 consonants, each identified by the Gor Gai (ก ไก่) mnemonic system that Thai children learn in school. Each consonant is paired with a common word to help distinguish letters that share similar sounds. The consonants are divided into three tone classes — mid (อักษรกลาง), high (อักษรสูง), and low (อักษรต่ำ) — which determine the tone of every syllable in Thai.
Mid-Class Consonants (อักษรกลาง) — 9 Letters
Mid-class consonants are the most versatile group. They can use all four tone marks and produce a mid tone by default in live syllables. These 9 letters are the foundation of the tone system — learn them first.
| Letter | Name | Romanized | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ก | กอ ไก่ | Gor Gai | Chicken 🐔 |
| จ | จอ จาน | Jor Jaan | Plate 🍽️ |
| ฎ | ดอ ชฎา | Dor Cha-da | Crown 👑 |
| ฏ | ตอ ปฏัก | Tor Pa-tak | Goad 🗡️ |
| ด | ดอ เด็ก | Dor Dek | Child 👶 |
| ต | ตอ เต่า | Tor Tao | Turtle 🐢 |
| บ | บอ ใบไม้ | Bor Bai Mai | Leaf 🍃 |
| ป | ปอ ปลา | Por Pla | Fish 🐟 |
| อ | ออ อ่าง | Or Ang | Basin 🛁 |
Memory aids: The 9 mid-class consonants can be remembered with the Thai mnemonic phrase ไก่ จิก เด็ก ตาย บน ปาก โอ่ง (a chicken pecked a child to death on the rim of a water jar) — the first consonant of each word gives you ก จ ด ต บ ป อ, plus ฎ ฏ which pair with ด ต. You can also practice writing mid-class consonants using GorGai's tone class filter.
High-Class Consonants (อักษรสูง) — 11 Letters
High-class consonants produce a rising tone by default in live syllables. They only use two tone marks: mai ek (่) and mai tho (้). These are all aspirated or fricative sounds.
| Letter | Name | Romanized | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ข | ขอ ไข่ | Khor Khai | Egg 🥚 |
| ฃ | ขอ ขวด | Khor Khuat | Bottle 🍶 (obsolete) |
| ฉ | ฉอ ฉิ่ง | Chor Ching | Cymbals 🎶 |
| ฐ | ฐอ ฐาน | Thor Than | Pedestal 🏛️ |
| ถ | ถอ ถุง | Thor Thung | Bag 👜 |
| ผ | ผอ ผึ้ง | Phor Phueng | Bee 🐝 |
| ฝ | ฝอ ฝา | For Fa | Lid 🫙 |
| ศ | ศอ ศาลา | Sor Sala | Pavilion 🏠 |
| ษ | ษอ ฤๅษี | Sor Ruesi | Hermit 🧙 |
| ส | สอ เสือ | Sor Suea | Tiger 🐯 |
| ห | หอ หีบ | Hor Hip | Chest (box) 📦 |
Memory aid: Thai learners use ผี ฝาก ถุง ข้าว สาร ให้ ฉัน ศึกษา เฐ่า — a ghost entrusted a sack of rice for me to study, old one. The mnemonic covers ผ ฝ ถ ข ส ห ฉ ศ (plus ฐ/ษ and obsolete ฃ). Try reading high-class consonants with GorGai's flashcard mode.
Low-Class Consonants (อักษรต่ำ) — 24 Letters
Low-class consonants are the largest group, representing more than half the alphabet. They produce a mid tone by default in live syllables and only use mai ek (่) and mai tho (้). Many low-class consonants are paired with a high-class counterpart that shares the same sound (e.g., ค low vs ข high — both "kh").
| Letter | Name | Romanized | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ค | คอ ควาย | Khor Khwai | Buffalo 🐃 |
| ฅ | คอ คน | Khor Khon | Person 🧑 (obsolete) |
| ฆ | คอ ระฆัง | Khor Rakhang | Bell 🔔 |
| ง | งอ งู | Ngor Ngu | Snake 🐍 |
| ช | ชอ ช้าง | Chor Chang | Elephant 🐘 |
| ซ | ซอ โซ่ | Sor So | Chain ⛓️ |
| ฌ | ชอ เฌอ | Chor Choe | Tree 🌳 |
| ญ | ยอ หญิง | Yor Ying | Woman 👩 |
| ฑ | ทอ มณโฑ | Thor Montho | Queen Montho 👸 |
| ฒ | ทอ ผู้เฒ่า | Thor Phu Thao | Elder 🧓 |
| ณ | นอ เณร | Nor Nen | Novice monk 🧑🦲 |
| ท | ทอ ทหาร | Thor Thahan | Soldier 💂 |
| ธ | ทอ ธง | Thor Thong | Flag 🚩 |
| น | นอ หนู | Nor Nu | Mouse 🐭 |
| พ | พอ พาน | Phor Phan | Tray 🍵 |
| ฟ | ฟอ ฟัน | For Fan | Teeth 🦷 |
| ภ | พอ สำเภา | Phor Samphao | Junk ship ⛵ |
| ม | มอ ม้า | Mor Ma | Horse 🐴 |
| ย | ยอ ยักษ์ | Yor Yak | Giant 👹 |
| ร | รอ เรือ | Ror Ruea | Boat 🚣 |
| ล | ลอ ลิง | Lor Ling | Monkey 🐒 |
| ว | วอ แหวน | Wor Waen | Ring 💍 |
| ฬ | ลอ จุฬา | Lor Chula | Kite 🪁 |
| ฮ | ฮอ นกฮูก | Hor Nok Huk | Owl 🦉 |
Low-class consonants include 14 "paired" consonants (which have a high-class counterpart with the same sound) and 10 "unpaired" consonants (ง ณ น ม ย ญ ร ล ว ฬ) which have no high-class match. Unpaired low-class consonants use ห as a leading silent consonant (หน, หม, หย, etc.) to access high-class tones. Practice writing low-class consonants or test yourself with flashcard recognition.
All 32 Thai Vowels — Positions, Lengths, and Pronunciation
Thai has 32 vowel forms (สระ) that combine with consonants to form syllables. Unlike English vowels that sit between consonants in a line, Thai vowels can appear in five different positions relative to the consonant they modify. The placeholder symbol ◌ shows where the consonant goes.
Thai Vowel Position System
Understanding where vowels are written is one of the biggest challenges for learners coming from alphabets like English or Latin script. Here's how the five positions work:
- After (ขวา) — Written to the right of the consonant: ◌า, ◌อ. Example: กา (kaa, crow).
- Above (บน) — Sit on top of the consonant: ◌ิ, ◌ี, ◌ึ, ◌ื, ◌ั, ◌็. Example: กิ (ki, branch).
- Below (ล่าง) — Written underneath the consonant: ◌ุ, ◌ู. Example: กุ (ku).
- Before (ซ้าย) — Written to the left of (before) the consonant: เ◌, แ◌, โ◌, ไ◌, ใ◌. Example: เก (gay). Even though เ appears first, you read the consonant first.
- Multi-position (หลายตำแหน่ง) — Components wrap around the consonant: เ◌ะ, เ◌า, เ◌ีย, เ◌ือ, ◌ัว, etc. Example: เกา (gao, old).
Short and Long Vowel Pairs
Most Thai vowels come in short-long pairs. The sound is the same, but duration differs — and this changes the meaning of words entirely. Vowel length also affects tone rules in dead syllables.
| Short | Sound | Long | Sound | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ◌ะ | a | ◌า | aa | A / Aa |
| ◌ิ | i | ◌ี | ee | I / Ee |
| ◌ึ | ue | ◌ื | uee | Ue / Uee |
| ◌ุ | u | ◌ู | oo | U / Oo |
| เ◌ะ | e | เ◌ | ay | E / Ay |
| แ◌ะ | ae | แ◌ | ae | Ae (short / long) |
| โ◌ะ | o | โ◌ | oh | O / Oh |
| เ◌าะ | or | ◌อ / เ◌า | or / ao | Or / Ao |
| เ◌ิ | er | เ◌อ | er | Er (short / long) |
| ◌ัว | ua | ◌ว | ua | Ua (short / long) |
Special Vowels
Several Thai vowels don't follow the short-long pair pattern:
- เ◌ีย (ia) — a long diphthong with no short pair. Used in words like เบียร์ (beer).
- เ◌ือ (uea) — another unpaired long diphthong. Found in เสือ (tiger), เมือง (city).
- ไ◌ / ใ◌ (ai) — two vowels with the same "ai" sound but different spellings. ใ◌ (mai muan) is used in only 20 common Thai words; ไ◌ (mai malai) is used everywhere else.
- ◌ำ (am) — a combined vowel-consonant symbol representing the sound "am". It always ends with an "m" sound.
- ฤ / ฤๅ (rue) and ฦ / ฦๅ (lue) — independent vowels inherited from Sanskrit. ฤ appears in common words like ฤดู (season) and ฤทธิ์ (power). ฦ and ฦๅ are obsolete.
- ◌ั (mai han akat) — a shortener mark for "a", used before certain final consonants. Not a standalone vowel.
- ◌็ (mai tai khu) — shortens the preceding vowel. Used in words like เด็ก (dek, child).
Practice writing all 32 vowel forms with GorGai's vowel tracing mode, or test your recognition with vowel flashcards.
Thai Consonants That Look Alike — Common Confusions
Several Thai consonants look nearly identical and cause frequent confusion for learners. Recognizing these tricky pairs early saves you from persistent reading errors later.
- บ (Bor) vs ป (Por) — บ has a small notch at the bottom-left; ป has a taller vertical stroke. Both are mid-class.
- ด (Dor) vs ค (Khor) — ด (mid, child) curves inward at top; ค (low, buffalo) has a more open top loop.
- ถ (Thor) vs ภ (Phor) — ถ (high, bag) and ภ (low, junk ship) share a similar body shape. Check the top — ภ has a distinct serif-like extension.
- พ (Phor) vs ฟ (For) — Both low-class. พ (tray) has a shorter descender; ฟ (teeth) has two matching descenders like actual teeth.
- ศ (Sor) vs ษ (Sor) vs ส (Sor) — Three high-class consonants all romanized as "Sor" with the same "s" sound. They differ in shape and origin (Sanskrit/Pali distinctions).
- ฎ (Dor) vs ฏ (Tor) — These mid-class retroflex consonants from Sanskrit look similar to ด and ต but have small curls. Rarely seen outside formal or Pali-derived words.
The best way to overcome look-alike confusion is active writing practice. When you draw a character by hand, you internalize the subtle differences. Try writing from memory to build that muscle memory.
How Tone Classes Work — Why They Matter for Reading Thai
Every Thai consonant belongs to one of three tone classes: mid (กลาง), high (สูง), or low (ต่ำ). The tone class is not about pitch — it's a category that determines which of the 5 Thai tones (mid, low, falling, high, rising) a syllable receives when combined with tone marks and syllable structure.
Tone Class Quick Reference
- Mid class (9 letters: ก จ ฎ ฏ ด ต บ ป อ) — The most flexible. Can use all 4 tone marks. Default tone in live syllables: mid. These are all unaspirated stops or the glottal stop อ.
- High class (11 letters: ข ฃ ฉ ฐ ถ ผ ฝ ศ ษ ส ห) — Only use mai ek and mai tho. Default tone in live syllables: rising. These are all aspirated stops or voiceless fricatives.
- Low class (24 letters) — Only use mai ek and mai tho (but produce different tones than high class). Default tone in live syllables: mid. Includes voiced stops, nasals, and approximants.
When you see an unfamiliar Thai word, the first thing you need to identify is the initial consonant's tone class. This, combined with any tone mark and whether the syllable is "live" or "dead", gives you the tone. GorGai's chart color-codes every consonant by class so you build this association visually. For a deep dive into tone rules with interactive examples, visit the Tone Rules & Quiz page.
Thai Consonant Sound Groups — Same Sound, Different Class
A distinctive feature of Thai is that multiple consonants can produce the same initial sound but belong to different tone classes. This means the same "kh" sound in two different words might be spelled with different consonants — and produce different tones. Here are the major sound groups:
| Sound | High Class | Low Class | Mid Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| K / G | — | — | ก |
| Kh | ข (ฃ) | ค (ฅ) ฆ | — |
| Ch | ฉ | ช ฌ | — |
| J | — | — | จ |
| D | — | — | ด ฎ |
| Dt | — | — | ต ฏ |
| Th | ฐ ถ | ฑ ฒ ท ธ | — |
| B | — | — | บ |
| Bp | — | — | ป |
| Ph | ผ | พ ภ | — |
| F | ฝ | ฟ | — |
| S | ศ ษ ส | ซ | — |
| H | ห | ฮ | — |
| N | — | ณ น | — |
| M | — | ม | — |
| Y | — | ญ ย | — |
| R | — | ร | — |
| L | — | ล ฬ | — |
| W | — | ว | — |
| Ng | — | ง | — |
Notice the pattern: mid-class consonants are all unaspirated (no puff of air). The aspirated version of each sound is split between high and low class. This is why Thai has multiple "Kh" and "Th" consonants — they represent the same sound in different tone contexts. Understanding these groupings is critical for fluent reading.
The 20 ใ◌ (Mai Muan) Words — A Unique Thai Spelling Rule
Thai has two vowels that both produce the "ai" sound: ไ◌ (mai malai) and ใ◌ (mai muan). They sound identical, but ใ◌ is used in only 20 specific Thai words. Every other "ai" word uses ไ◌. Thai students memorize these 20 words, often as a poem:
ใกล้ ใคร ใคร่ ใจ ใช่ ใช้ ใด ใต้ ใน ใบ้ ใฝ่ ใย ใส ใส่ ใหญ่ ใหม่ ใหม้ ให้ ใคร ใบ
Common examples: ใจ (jai, heart), ใน (nai, in/inside), ใหม่ (mai, new), ใหญ่ (yai, big), ให้ (hai, to give), ใช้ (chai, to use), ใกล้ (glai, near), ใส่ (sai, to put on/wear). If you're reading Thai and see ใ◌, you know it's one of these 20 words.
How to Use This Chart Effectively
A reference chart is most useful when combined with active practice. Here's a study strategy that maximizes retention:
- Browse the chart first — Scroll through all 44 consonants and 32 vowels. Click each one to hear the sound. Don't try to memorize — just build familiarity.
- Filter by tone class — Start with mid-class consonants (smallest group, 9 letters). Click through each one several times. Then move to high-class (11), then low-class (24).
- Switch to active practice — Go to consonant tracing mode and filter by the same class you just reviewed. Trace each character while saying its name aloud.
- Test yourself — Use write mode to draw consonants from memory. Come back to this chart whenever you need to check.
- Read words — Move to word reading to see consonants and vowels working together in real vocabulary.
- Study tone rules — Once you know the characters, visit the tone rules page to understand how classes, marks, and syllable types combine to produce the 5 Thai tones.
Keep this chart bookmarked or install GorGai as an app for instant access. It works offline after your first visit.
Thai vs Other Southeast Asian Scripts
Thai script belongs to the Brahmic script family and shares ancestry with several Southeast Asian writing systems. If you're learning Thai, you may find these connections interesting:
- Lao — The most similar script to Thai. Many consonants are nearly identical, and a Thai reader can partially decode Lao text. Lao simplified the Thai system by eliminating redundant consonants (Lao has 27 consonants vs Thai's 44).
- Khmer (Cambodian) — Thai script historically descended from Khmer script, which itself came from Indian Pallava/Grantha. The connection is visible in character shapes but the modern scripts look quite different.
- Myanmar (Burmese) — Uses rounded characters from the same Brahmic family. The vowel-position system is similar (before, after, above, below) but the character shapes are distinct.
- Devanagari (Hindi/Sanskrit) — Thai inherited many concepts from Sanskrit via Pali, including the consonant class system. Several Thai consonants (ฎ ฏ ฑ ฒ ณ ศ ษ) exist primarily for Sanskrit and Pali loanwords.
Learning Thai gives you a conceptual foundation that transfers to other Brahmic scripts — particularly the ideas of consonant classes, combining vowels, and tone/accent marks.
Thai Alphabet Chart FAQ
How many consonants are in the Thai alphabet?
There are 44 consonants in the Thai alphabet (พยัญชนะไทย). They are divided into three tone classes: 9 mid-class (อักษรกลาง), 11 high-class (อักษรสูง), and 24 low-class (อักษรต่ำ). Two letters — ฃ (Khor Khuat, bottle) and ฅ (Khor Khon, person) — are obsolete in modern Thai but are still included in the official alphabet count and appear on standard Thai keyboards.
How many vowels are in Thai?
Thai has 32 vowel forms (สระ). They come in short and long pairs — for example, อะ (short "a") and อา (long "aa"). Vowels can appear before, after, above, below, or wrapping around the consonant they modify. This multi-positional system is unique to Thai and related Southeast Asian scripts. Some vowels like ◌ำ (am) and ไ◌/ใ◌ (ai) don't have a short-long pair.
What are the three Thai consonant tone classes?
Every Thai consonant belongs to a mid, high, or low tone class. Mid class has 9 consonants (ก จ ฎ ฏ ด ต บ ป อ), high class has 11 (ข ฃ ฉ ฐ ถ ผ ฝ ศ ษ ส ห), and low class has 24. The tone class determines which of Thai's 5 tones (mid, low, falling, high, rising) a syllable receives. It's the most important piece of information to memorize about each consonant.
What is the Gor Gai mnemonic system?
Gor Gai (ก ไก่) is Thailand's official system for learning the alphabet. Each of the 44 consonants is paired with a common word — like "A for Apple" in English. The name comes from the very first pair: ก (Gor) paired with ไก่ (Gai, meaning chicken). Thai children memorize all 44 pairs in school. The mnemonic words help distinguish consonants that share similar sounds.
Why do multiple Thai consonants make the same sound?
Thai has groups of consonants that produce the same initial sound but belong to different tone classes. For example, ค (low), ฅ (low), ฆ (low), ข (high), and ฃ (high) all produce a "Kh" sound. The same sound in different classes creates different tones in syllables, which changes meaning. Historically, these consonants may have had distinct sounds in Old Thai. Today the distinction is purely tonal and orthographic.
What do the vowel positions (before, after, above, below) mean?
"Position" refers to where a vowel is written relative to the consonant it modifies. The placeholder ◌ shows the consonant position. For example, เ◌ means the vowel เ is written before (to the left of) the consonant, while ◌า means า is written after (to the right). Above vowels like ◌ิ sit on top of the consonant, and below vowels like ◌ุ go underneath. Multi-position vowels like เ◌ีย have components in multiple locations.
Which Thai consonants are obsolete?
Two consonants are obsolete in modern Thai: ฃ (Khor Khuat, bottle) and ฅ (Khor Khon, person). They were replaced by ข and ค respectively. Despite being unused, they remain in the official 44-consonant alphabet, appear on Thai keyboard layouts, and are included in most alphabet charts. You may encounter them in very old texts or historical documents.
How do I pronounce Thai consonants?
Thai consonants are spoken with a two-syllable pattern: the consonant sound plus อ ("or"). So ก is "Gor", ข is "Khor", ง is "Ngor". The Gor Gai mnemonic then adds a word: ก ไก่ = "Gor Gai" (G as in Chicken). When reading Thai words, only the initial consonant sound matters — "Gor Gai" is for identification, not for reading. Click any consonant on this page to hear the correct pronunciation.
What's the difference between ไ◌ (mai malai) and ใ◌ (mai muan)?
Both produce the same "ai" sound, but ใ◌ (mai muan) is used for only 20 specific Thai words. Every other "ai" word uses ไ◌ (mai malai). Thai students memorize the 20 ใ◌ words, which include common vocabulary like ใจ (heart), ใน (in), ใหม่ (new), ใหญ่ (big), and ให้ (give). There's no pronunciation difference — it's purely a spelling rule.
Can I use this Thai alphabet chart offline?
Yes. GorGai is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that works offline after your first visit. You can install it to your home screen on any device for instant access. Audio pronunciation uses locally cached files, so most sounds play without an internet connection. The chart shows all 44 consonants and 32 vowels in a single scrollable view — ideal for quick reference while studying.
About This Reference
GorGai's Thai Alphabet Chart is maintained as part of GorGai, a free, open-source educational tool for learning to read and write Thai. The data on this page — character names, romanizations, tone classes, and audio — follows Thailand's Royal Institute standards and the official Gor Gai curriculum taught in Thai schools. Audio pronunciation is sourced from native Thai speakers via Google's Thai text-to-speech engine.
This page is designed to be a single-stop reference for anyone studying the Thai writing system: students, travelers preparing for a trip to Thailand, expats, heritage learners, and linguists. All content is free, requires no signup, and works on any device.