Tone Rules
Three Classes of Consonants
- Low
- ค, ฅ, ฆ, ง, ช, ซ, ฌ, ญ, ฑ, ฒ, ณ, ท, ธ, น, พ, ฟ, ภ, ม, ย, ร, ล, ว, ฬ, ฮ
- Mid
- ก, จ, ฎ, ฏ, ด, ต, บ, ป, อ
- High
- ข, ฃ, ฉ, ฐ, ถ, ผ, ฝ, ศ, ษ, ส, ห
Tone of Syllables with Tone Marks
| Tone Mark | Thai | Transliteration | Tone (Consonant Class) |
|---|---|---|---|
| -่ | ไม้เอก | mai ehk | falling tone (low) \n low tone (mid & high) |
| -้ | ไม้โท | mai tho | high tone (low) \n falling tone (mid & high) |
| -๊ | ไม้ตรี | mai tri | high (all class) |
| -๋ | ไม้จัตวา | mai chatawa | rising (all class) |
Tone Rule Summary
Tonal Composition of Thai Syllables
| Lexical tone | Initial Consonant Type | Syllable Type | Tone Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | mid | dead | ㅤ |
| Low | mid | live | อ่ |
| Low | high | dead | ㅤ |
| Low | high | live | อ่ |
| Low | อ + sonorant | dead | ㅤ |
| Low | อ + sonorant | live | อ่ |
| Low | ห + sonorant | dead | ㅤ |
| Low | ห + sonorant | live | อ่ |
| Mid | low | live | ㅤ |
| Mid | mid | live | ㅤ |
| High | low | open, short | ㅤ |
| High | low | closed dead, short | ㅤ |
| High | low | any | อ้ |
| High | mid | any | อ๊ |
| Rising | high | live | ㅤ |
| Rising | mid | any | อ๋ |
| Rising | ห + sonorant | live | ㅤ |
| Falling | low | closed dead; long | ㅤ |
| Falling | low | any | อ่ |
| Falling | ห + sonorant | live | อ้ |
| Falling | mid | any | อ้ |
| Falling | hgh | any | อ้ |
Tips
- If there is a tone mark, the resulting tone will never be mid.
- Vowel duration is only considered for low class initial with dead ending.