Each spelling is an attempt to reconcile the two consonants in the Thai word for shrimp paste that don't exist in English – the initial consonant is a cross between a "G" and a "K" while the middle consonant is a cross between a "B" and a "P". Other people using English to write Thai words make other choices – you might see the Thai word for shrimp paste (กะปิ) spelled in one of many ways: kapi, gabi, gkabi are three of many possibilities. In other instances, Michael has chosen to use the more official spelling, such as using talaat for market or gaeng for curry (Kasma would use Gkaeng) because it is likely to be recognized by more people. Kasma, in most instances (such as Thai names for different recipes) almost always tries to be phonetically accurate. Throughout the website we've had to choose between being phonetically accurate or officially accurate. Market." The initial "CH" is really from a Thai consonant that has more of "J" sound – hence, the confusion. It's also quite common to hear it referred to as "J.J. One more example: the well-known Bangkok weekend market is usually spelled Chatuchak in English. That's the official transliteration for what is pronounced more like Tawng Law.Īlthough the Thai word for market is typically spelled talaat, a more phonetically accurate spelling would be "dtalaht" – the first consonant is actually a cross between a "D" and a "T" and not a "T" sound. The official system now in use in most publications has many flaws, which have led to the mispronunciation of many Thai words.įor instance, a well known soi (street) in Bangkok is Sukhumvit Soi 55, which is known universally as Thong Lo. Because it has many sounds not found in the English language, the task of representing Thai words with English letters is very challenging. The Thai language is tonal and has its own script. You saw how a letter is written and might be pronounced, but there is nothing better than hearing the sound of the letters in a video or audio.A Note on Thai Pronunciation and Spelling Thai AlphabetĪs in tho montho (Mandodari, character from Ramayana) The better you pronounce a letter in a word, the more understood you will be in speaking the Thai language.īelow is a table showing the Thai alphabet and how it is pronounced in English, and finally examples of how those letters would sound if you place them in a word. Without it, you will not be able to say words properly even if you know how to write those words. Learning the Thai alphabet is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation.
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