How many letters are in the Thai alphabet?

The Thai alphabet has 44 consonants (two now obsolete), plus around 15 vowel symbols that combine into roughly 32 vowel forms, and 4 tone marks. Consonants carry the base sounds; vowels are written around them, and tone marks sit above.

How many consonants does Thai have, and why are only 42 used?

Thai has 44 consonants in the full chart, but two of them, ฃ (kho khuat) and ฅ (kho khon), fell out of use in the 20th century when typewriters dropped them and their sounds merged with ข and ค. Modern Thai is written with the remaining 42, which is why charts and keyboards often list 42 even though the alphabet officially has 44.

What order are the Thai consonants in?

Thai consonants follow a fixed dictionary order that starts with ก (gɔɔ gài) and ends with ฮ (hɔɔ nók-hûuk). The order groups letters by their place of articulation, roughly velar (ก ข ฃ ค ฅ ฆ ง), then palatal, retroflex, dental, and labial sounds, with the sonorants and ห อ ฮ at the end. It is the order in the chart above and the one Thai dictionaries use.

Is Thai an alphabet or something else?

Thai is an abugida rather than a pure alphabet. Every consonant carries an inherent vowel sound, and separate vowel symbols go above, below, before, or after the consonant to change it. Thai runs left to right with no spaces between words.

How do you read Thai script?

Read left to right. Identify the consonant, then the vowel written around it, then any final consonant. The tone is decided by the consonant's class (high, mid, or low), the syllable type, and any tone mark. Words run together with no spaces, so you segment as you read.

Why do Thai consonants have classes?

Each consonant belongs to a high, mid, or low class, and the class is one of the inputs that determines a syllable's tone. The same vowel and tone mark can produce different tones depending on whether the initial consonant is high, mid, or low.

Is the Thai alphabet hard to learn?

It looks harder than it is. Most people recognize all 44 consonants within a few weeks of steady practice. Learn the script before you lean on romanization: the tone rules work off the letters themselves, so a reader who knows the classes can pronounce a word they have never seen.

Thai Alphabet Chart: All 44 Consonants, Vowels and Tones

The Thai alphabet has 44 consonants, around 15 vowel symbols that form roughly 32 vowel sounds, and 4 tone marks. Thai is written left to right with no spaces between words, and it is an abugida: every consonant carries an inherent vowel, and vowel symbols are added around it. This guide walks through all of it, from the consonant chart to sounding out a syllable, and ends with ten real words to practice on.

The 44 Thai consonants

Each consonant has a name (like กอ ไก่ “gɔɔ gài”, “chicken”) used to say it aloud and tell similar letters apart. Every consonant also belongs to a class - high, mid, or low - which is one of the things that decides a syllable’s tone.

High Mid Low

Letter	Name	Sound	Class
ก	กอ ไก่gɔɔ gài · chicken	g / -k	Mid
ข	ขอ ไข่kɔ̌ɔ kài · egg	k / -k	High
ฃobsolete	ฃอ ขวดkɔ̌ɔ kùuat · bottle	k / -k	High
ค	คอ ควายkɔɔ kwaai · buffalo	k / -k	Low
ฅobsolete	ฅอ คนkɔɔ kon · person	k / -k	Low
ฆ	ฆอ ระฆังkɔɔ rá-kang · bell	k / -k	Low
ง	งอ งูngɔɔ nguu · snake	ng / -ng	Low
จ	จอ จานjɔɔ jaan · plate	j / -t	Mid
ฉ	ฉอ ฉิ่งchɔ̌ɔ chìng · cymbals	ch	High
ช	ชอ ช้างchɔɔ cháang · elephant	ch / -t	Low
ซ	ซอ โซ่sɔɔ sôo · chain	s / -t	Low
ฌ	ฌอ เฌอchɔɔ chəə · tree	ch / -t	Low
ญ	ญอ หญิงyɔɔ yǐng · woman	y / -n	Low
ฎ	ฎอ ชฎาdɔɔ chá-daa · headdress	d / -t	Mid
ฏ	ฏอ ปฏักdtɔɔ bpà-dtàk · goad	dt / -t	Mid
ฐ	ฐอ ฐานtɔ̌ɔ tǎan · pedestal	t / -t	High
ฑ	ฑอ มณโฑtɔɔ mon-too · Montho (character)	t / -t	Low
ฒ	ฒอ ผู้เฒ่าtɔɔ pûu-tâo · elder	t / -t	Low
ณ	ณอ เณรnɔɔ neen · novice monk	n / -n	Low
ด	ดอ เด็กdɔɔ dèk · child	d / -t	Mid
ต	ตอ เต่าdtɔɔ dtào · turtle	dt / -t	Mid
ถ	ถอ ถุงtɔ̌ɔ tǔng · sack	t / -t	High
ท	ทอ ทหารtɔɔ tá-hǎan · soldier	t / -t	Low
ธ	ธอ ธงtɔɔ tong · flag	t / -t	Low
น	นอ หนูnɔɔ nǔu · mouse	n / -n	Low
บ	บอ ใบไม้bɔɔ bai-máai · leaf	b / -p	Mid
ป	ปอ ปลาbpɔɔ bplaa · fish	bp / -p	Mid
ผ	ผอ ผึ้งpɔ̌ɔ pʉ̂ng · bee	p	High
ฝ	ฝอ ฝาfɔ̌ɔ fǎa · lid	f	High
พ	พอ พานpɔɔ paan · tray	p / -p	Low
ฟ	ฟอ ฟันfɔɔ fan · teeth	f / -p	Low
ภ	ภอ สำเภาpɔɔ sǎm-pao · junk boat	p / -p	Low
ม	มอ ม้าmɔɔ máa · horse	m / -m	Low
ย	ยอ ยักษ์yɔɔ yák · giant	y	Low
ร	รอ เรือrɔɔ rʉʉa · boat	r / -n	Low
ล	ลอ ลิงlɔɔ ling · monkey	l / -n	Low
ว	วอ แหวนwɔɔ wɛ̌ɛn · ring	w	Low
ศ	ศอ ศาลาsɔ̌ɔ sǎa-laa · pavilion	s / -t	High
ษ	ษอ ฤๅษีsɔ̌ɔ rʉʉ-sǐi · hermit	s / -t	High
ส	สอ เสือsɔ̌ɔ sʉ̌ʉa · tiger	s / -t	High
ห	หอ หีบhɔ̌ɔ hìip · chest	h	High
ฬ	ฬอ จุฬาlɔɔ jù-laa · kite	l / -n	Low
อ	ออ อ่างɔɔ àang · basin	(silent)	Mid
ฮ	ฮอ นกฮูกhɔɔ nók-hûuk · owl	h	Low

Thai vowels

Vowels are written around the consonant - before, after, above, or below it. The ◌ below marks where the consonant goes. Vowel length (short vs long) matters: it changes meaning and helps decide tone.

Form	Sound	Length	Example
◌ะ	a	short	จะjà · will
◌า	aa	long	มาmaa · come
◌ิ	i	short	กินgin · eat
◌ี	ii	long	ดีdii · good
◌ึ	ʉ	short	หนึ่งnʉ̀ng · one
◌ื	ʉʉ	long	มือmʉʉ · hand
◌ุ	u	short	คุณkun · you
◌ู	uu	long	ดูduu · look
เ◌ะ	e	short	เตะdtè · kick
เ◌	ee	long	เทtee · pour
แ◌ะ	ɛ	short	และlɛ́ · and
แ◌	ɛɛ	long	แม่mɛ̂ɛ · mother
โ◌ะ	o	short	โต๊ะdtó · table
โ◌	oo	long	โตdtoo · big
เ◌าะ	ɔ	short	เกาะgɔ̀ɔ · island
◌อ	ɔɔ	long	พอpɔɔ · enough
เ◌อ	əə	long	เธอtəə · you / she
เ◌ีย	iia	long	เสียsǐia · spoiled
เ◌ือ	ʉʉa	long	เรือrʉʉa · boat
◌ัว	uua	long	กลัวgluua · afraid
ไ◌ / ใ◌	ai	short	ไปbpai · go
เ◌า	ao	short	เขาkǎo · he / she
◌ำ	am	short	น้ำnáam · water

Tone marks & how tones work

Thai has five tones: mid, low, falling, high, and rising. A syllable’s tone is not set by the tone mark alone. It comes from three things together:

the class of the initial consonant (high, mid, or low),
the syllable type - live (open, or ending in a sonorant like ง น ม ย ว) or dead (ending in a stop, or a short vowel), and
the tone mark, if any, written above the consonant.

The same tone mark yields a different tone depending on the consonant class, so you cannot read a mark without first knowing its consonant. This page covers the marks; the full guide to Thai tones works through every class and syllable-type combination. The four marks are:

Mark	Name
◌่	ไม้เอกmái-èek
◌้	ไม้โทmái-too
◌๊	ไม้ตรีmái-dtrii
◌๋	ไม้จัตวาmái-jàt-dtà-waa

Reading a syllable, step by step

Take the word มา (“come”):

Initial consonant: ม (mɔɔ máa) - a low-class consonant giving the sound m.
Vowel: ◌า - the long vowel aa, written after the consonant.
Final consonant: none, so the syllable is live.
Tone: low class + live syllable + no tone mark → a mid tone. Result: มา = maa, said with a level mid tone.

The spelling maa is Paiboon+ romanization, the system ThaiLookup uses everywhere: tones ride on the vowel (à low, â falling, á high, ǎ rising, unmarked mid). The Thai romanization guide explains how it maps to the script and how it compares with the other systems you will meet.

Every syllable you read runs that same order: consonant, vowel, final, tone. ThaiLookup runs it for you on any word, so paste Thai text to get the romanization, tone, and syllable breakdown.

Practice with real words

Ten everyday words that between them use all three consonant classes and all five tones. Work out each one with the four steps above, then check yourself against the answer. Every row opens the lookup so you can hear it and see the syllable breakdown.

Word	Reading	Tone	Why	Look it up
มา	maacome	Mid	LowLow class, live syllable, no mark	Look it up
ไก่	gàichicken	Low	MidMid class + mái-èek	Look it up
ข้าว	kâaorice	Falling	HighHigh class + mái-too	Look it up
น้ำ	náamwater	High	LowLow class + mái-too	Look it up
ไม่	mâinot	Falling	LowLow class + mái-èek	Look it up
หมา	mǎadog	Rising	HighSilent ห makes ม high class; live, no mark	Look it up
เสือ	sʉ̌ʉatiger	Rising	HighHigh class, live syllable, no mark	Look it up
ปลา	bplaafish	Mid	Midปล cluster follows ป (mid); live, no mark	Look it up
ครับ	kráppolite particle (men)	High	LowLow class, dead syllable, short vowel	Look it up
ค่ะ	kâpolite particle (women)	Falling	LowLow class + mái-èek	Look it up

The lookup on the home page takes any Thai text: paste a word from the table, or a whole sentence, to get the same romanization, tone, and breakdown.

Frequently asked questions

How many letters are in the Thai alphabet?: The Thai alphabet has 44 consonants (two now obsolete), plus around 15 vowel symbols that combine into roughly 32 vowel forms, and 4 tone marks. Consonants carry the base sounds; vowels are written around them, and tone marks sit above.
How many consonants does Thai have, and why are only 42 used?: Thai has 44 consonants in the full chart, but two of them, ฃ (kho khuat) and ฅ (kho khon), fell out of use in the 20th century when typewriters dropped them and their sounds merged with ข and ค. Modern Thai is written with the remaining 42, which is why charts and keyboards often list 42 even though the alphabet officially has 44.
What order are the Thai consonants in?: Thai consonants follow a fixed dictionary order that starts with ก (gɔɔ gài) and ends with ฮ (hɔɔ nók-hûuk). The order groups letters by their place of articulation, roughly velar (ก ข ฃ ค ฅ ฆ ง), then palatal, retroflex, dental, and labial sounds, with the sonorants and ห อ ฮ at the end. It is the order in the chart above and the one Thai dictionaries use.
Is Thai an alphabet or something else?: Thai is an abugida rather than a pure alphabet. Every consonant carries an inherent vowel sound, and separate vowel symbols go above, below, before, or after the consonant to change it. Thai runs left to right with no spaces between words.
How do you read Thai script?: Read left to right. Identify the consonant, then the vowel written around it, then any final consonant. The tone is decided by the consonant's class (high, mid, or low), the syllable type, and any tone mark. Words run together with no spaces, so you segment as you read.
Why do Thai consonants have classes?: Each consonant belongs to a high, mid, or low class, and the class is one of the inputs that determines a syllable's tone. The same vowel and tone mark can produce different tones depending on whether the initial consonant is high, mid, or low.
Is the Thai alphabet hard to learn?: It looks harder than it is. Most people recognize all 44 consonants within a few weeks of steady practice. Learn the script before you lean on romanization: the tone rules work off the letters themselves, so a reader who knows the classes can pronounce a word they have never seen.