The vowels as short and long pairs. Length matters: it decides whether a syllable with no final consonant is live or dead, and so which tone it takes. The consonant is shown as a placeholder where the vowel sits around it.
Short vowelLong vowel
อะ
sara a
Short "a" as in "ago", stopped abruptly.
Written after the consonant.
With a final: อั
จะ ja, will (marks the future)
อา
sara aa
Long "aa" as in "father", held for a full beat.
Written after the consonant.
No change with a final.
มา maa, to come
อิ
sara i
Short "i" as in "sit".
Written above the consonant.
No change with a final.
กิน gin, to eat
อี
sara ii
Long "ee" as in "see".
Written above the consonant.
No change with a final.
ดี dii, good
อึ
sara ue
Short unrounded "ue" — the "oo" of "book" with your lips spread flat, not rounded.
Written above the consonant.
No change with a final.
หนึ่ง nueng, one
อือ
sara uue
The same unrounded sound, held long.
Written above the consonant.
With a final: อื
มือ mue, hand
อุ
sara u
Short "u" as in "put".
Written below the consonant.
No change with a final.
คุณ khun, you (polite)
อู
sara uu
Long "oo" as in "moon".
Written below the consonant.
No change with a final.
ดู duu, to look
เอะ
sara e
Short "e" as in "pet".
Written around the consonant.
With a final: เอ็
เตะ te, to kick
เอ
sara ee
Long "ay" as in "may", without the glide at the end.
Written before the consonant.
No change with a final.
ทะเล thalee, sea
แอะ
sara ae
Short "a" as in "cat".
Written around the consonant.
With a final: แอ็
แกะ gae, sheep
แอ
sara aae
The same open "a", held long.
Written before the consonant.
No change with a final.
แม่ mae, mother
โอะ
sara o
Short "o" as in "go", cut off.
Written around the consonant.
With a final consonant it is not written.
โต๊ะ to, table
โอ
sara oo
Long "oh" as in "go", held.
Written before the consonant.
No change with a final.
โต dto, big
เอาะ
sara o (open)
Short "o" as in "hot".
Written around the consonant.
With a final: อ็อ
เกาะ gor, island
ออ
sara or
Long "aw" as in "law".
Written after the consonant.
No change with a final.
ขอ khor, to ask for
เออะ
sara oe
Short "u" as in "burn", without the r.
Written around the consonant.
No change with a final.
เออ
sara oee
Long "u" as in "burn", without the r.
Written around the consonant.
With a final: เอิ
เธอ thoe, you, she
เอียะ
sara ia (short)
A clipped "ia".
Written around the consonant.
No change with a final.
เอีย
sara ia
Glides from "ee" to "a", like the "ia" in "idea".
Written around the consonant.
No change with a final.
เสีย sia, to be broken, to lose
เอือะ
sara uea (short)
A clipped "uea".
Written around the consonant.
No change with a final.
เอือ
sara uea
Glides from the unrounded "ue" toward "a" — lips relaxed, never rounded.
Written around the consonant.
No change with a final.
เรือ ruea, boat
อัวะ
sara ua (short)
A clipped "ua".
Written around the consonant.
No change with a final.
อัว
sara ua
Glides from "oo" to "a".
Written around the consonant.
With a final: อว
ตัว dtua, body, classifier for animals
Some vowels change shape when a final consonant closes the syllable. The last line of each form says how.Free from Thai Script Flow. Hear every letter and word spoken at thaiscriptflow.com/alphabet/vowels