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Tone Rules for Thai Syllables
Listen, think about the spelling, then refer to the tone rules below to find the correct rule.
กล้วย
consonant rule:
vowel length:
final position:
syllable type:
tone mark:
tone to use:
middle class
long
sonorant final
live
mái toe
falling
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Tone Rules for Middle Class:
If no tone mark is present, then there are two tones possible:
Live Syllable = Mid Tone
Dead Syllable = Low Tone
With tone marks, all five tones are possible:
low
falling
high
rising
* Rising tone and it's tone mark are not used with dead syllables.
Tone Rules for High Class:
If no tone mark is present, then there are two tones possible:
Live Syllable = Rising Tone
Dead Syllable = Low Tone
With tone marks, three tones are possible:
low
falling
Tone Rules for Low Class:
There are three tones possible:
Live Syllable = Mid Tone
Short Dead Syllable = High Tone
Long Dead Syllable = Falling Tone
These marks are used to change the tone:
falling
high
Lesson Navigation:
New lesson: What's this? That is a . . .
- Overview of the 44 Thai Consonants
- The Thai Middle Class Consonants
- The Thai High Class Consonants
- The Thai Low Class Consonants
- The Consonant Names in English
- The Consonant Names in Thai
- Match the Sound to the Consonant
- Thai Consonant Handwriting
- Thai Consonant Keyboard
- Consonant Names Test
- What Class is this Consonant
- Which Consonant is in this Class
- Middle Class Consonants Test
- High Class Consonants Test
- Low Class Consonants Test
- The 32 Thai Vowels
- 12 Short Vowel Sounds
- 12 Long Vowel Sounds
- 8 Special Vowel Symbols
- Compare Long & Short Vowels
- Long & Short Vowel - Part 1
- Long or Short Vowel - Part 2
- Long or Short Vowel - Part 3
- Thai Vowel Names - Part 1
- Thai Vowel Names - Part 2
- Thai Vowel Names - Part 3
- Listen and Write the Thai Vowels
- Listen and Type the Thai Vowels
- Test - The 14 Thai Short Vowels
- Test - The 18 Thai Long Vowels
- Test - Match Vowel Sound to Shape
- Complex Vowel Sounds
- The Thai Writing System
- Basic Thai Syllable - Short Sound
- Basic Thai Syllable - Long Sound
- The Thai Final Consonants
- Consonants in Final Position
- Consonants Never in Final Position
- Consonant Sounds Used
- Consonant Sounds not Used
- Select the Correct Final Sound
- Match a Sound to the Consonants
- Sonorant and Stop Finals
- Sonorant vs Stop Sounds
- Select the Final Sound Type
- Consonant+Vowel+Stop Final
- Consonant+Vowel+Sonorant Final
- Listen and Write Thai Syllables
- Listen and Read Thai Syllables
- Listen and Type Thai Syllables
- Seven Vowels That Change
- Practice the Seven Changing Vowels
- The Four Thai Tone Marks
- Live and Dead Syllables
- Middle Class, Live or Dead?
- Middle Class, Mid or Low Tone?
- Tone Rules for Middle Class
- High Class, Live or Dead?
- High Class, Rising or Low?
- Tone Rules for High Class
- Low Class, Live or Dead?
- Low Class - Mid, High or Falling?
- Tone Rules for Low Class
- Tone Rule Practice
- Tone Rule Test - Listen and Read
- Tone Rule Test - Read and Choose
- Hello, Good day!
- Dialog: Greeting someone.
- Vocabulary for This Lesson
- Overview of Spelling and Tone
- Practice Recognizing Words
- Practice Recognizing Spelling
- Practice Identifying Correct Tone
- Practice Word Meaning
- Practice Word Handwriting
- Practice Word Typing
- Study the Thai Dialog
- I am fine, you are fine
- Switching Personal Pronouns
- The Thai Question Particles
- Statements into Questions
- Responding in the Right Way
- Practice Responding
- Vocabulary Review
- Phrases You Should Know
- Practice The Thai Greeting
- Revisit the Dialog Recording
- How to Introduce Yourself
- Dialog: Introducing yourself
- Vocabulary for This Lesson
- Overview of Spelling and Tone
- Practice Recognizing Words
- Practice Recognizing Spelling
- Practice Identifying Correct Tone
- Practice Word Meaning
- Practice Word Handwriting
- Practice Word Typing
- Study the Thai Dialog
- About the Thai Question Words
- Asking and Answering
- Practice Switching Pronouns
- Yes and No Questions
- Practice Replying with Yes or No
- The Negative Response
- Practice Replying and Correcting
- Confirming Information
- Compare Question Formats
- Ways to Answer
- Questions About Other People
- ใช่ไหม - Questions About You
- หรือ เปล่า - Questions About You
- Vocabulary Review
- Practice Important Phrases
- Revisit the Dialog Recording
- Getting started with nouns
- This one, or That one
- Dialog: What is this?
- Vocabulary for This Lesson
- Overview of Spelling and Tone
- Practice Recognizing Words
- Practice Recognizing Spelling
- Practice Identifying Correct Tone
- Practice Word Meaning
- Practice Word Handwriting
- Practice Word Typing
- Study the Thai Dialog
- Listen and Identify Nouns
- Practice using นี่ , นั่น , and โน่น
- Questions using This and That
- Practice Questions with อะไร
- This and That Questions with ใช่ไหม
- Q and A using นี่ , นั่น , and โน่น
- Listen, Repeat, and Answer
- Revisiting the Lesson Dialog
- Reviewing Ways to Form Questions
- More Practice Questions
Application Settings:
More to come . . .
Active Thai is a work in progress. Please check back often for new lessons.
Lesson Navigation:
New lesson: What's this? That is a . . .
- Overview of the 44 Thai Consonants
- The Thai Middle Class Consonants
- The Thai High Class Consonants
- The Thai Low Class Consonants
- The Consonant Names in English
- The Consonant Names in Thai
- Match the Sound to the Consonant
- Thai Consonant Handwriting
- Thai Consonant Keyboard
- Consonant Names Test
- What Class is this Consonant
- Which Consonant is in this Class
- Middle Class Consonants Test
- High Class Consonants Test
- Low Class Consonants Test
- The 32 Thai Vowels
- 12 Short Vowel Sounds
- 12 Long Vowel Sounds
- 8 Special Vowel Symbols
- Compare Long & Short Vowels
- Long & Short Vowel - Part 1
- Long or Short Vowel - Part 2
- Long or Short Vowel - Part 3
- Thai Vowel Names - Part 1
- Thai Vowel Names - Part 2
- Thai Vowel Names - Part 3
- Listen and Write the Thai Vowels
- Listen and Type the Thai Vowels
- Test - The 14 Thai Short Vowels
- Test - The 18 Thai Long Vowels
- Test - Match Vowel Sound to Shape
- Complex Vowel Sounds
- The Thai Writing System
- Basic Thai Syllable - Short Sound
- Basic Thai Syllable - Long Sound
- The Thai Final Consonants
- Consonants in Final Position
- Consonants Never in Final Position
- Consonant Sounds Used
- Consonant Sounds not Used
- Select the Correct Final Sound
- Match a Sound to the Consonants
- Sonorant and Stop Finals
- Sonorant vs Stop Sounds
- Select the Final Sound Type
- Consonant+Vowel+Stop Final
- Consonant+Vowel+Sonorant Final
- Listen and Write Thai Syllables
- Listen and Read Thai Syllables
- Listen and Type Thai Syllables
- Seven Vowels That Change
- Practice the Seven Changing Vowels
- The Four Thai Tone Marks
- Live and Dead Syllables
- Middle Class, Live or Dead?
- Middle Class, Mid or Low Tone?
- Tone Rules for Middle Class
- High Class, Live or Dead?
- High Class, Rising or Low?
- Tone Rules for High Class
- Low Class, Live or Dead?
- Low Class - Mid, High or Falling?
- Tone Rules for Low Class
- Tone Rule Practice
- Tone Rule Test - Listen and Read
- Tone Rule Test - Read and Choose
- Hello, Good day!
- Dialog: Greeting someone.
- Vocabulary for This Lesson
- Overview of Spelling and Tone
- Practice Recognizing Words
- Practice Recognizing Spelling
- Practice Identifying Correct Tone
- Practice Word Meaning
- Practice Word Handwriting
- Practice Word Typing
- Study the Thai Dialog
- I am fine, you are fine
- Switching Personal Pronouns
- The Thai Question Particles
- Statements into Questions
- Responding in the Right Way
- Practice Responding
- Vocabulary Review
- Phrases You Should Know
- Practice The Thai Greeting
- Revisit the Dialog Recording
- How to Introduce Yourself
- Dialog: Introducing yourself
- Vocabulary for This Lesson
- Overview of Spelling and Tone
- Practice Recognizing Words
- Practice Recognizing Spelling
- Practice Identifying Correct Tone
- Practice Word Meaning
- Practice Word Handwriting
- Practice Word Typing
- Study the Thai Dialog
- About the Thai Question Words
- Asking and Answering
- Practice Switching Pronouns
- Yes and No Questions
- Practice Replying with Yes or No
- The Negative Response
- Practice Replying and Correcting
- Confirming Information
- Compare Question Formats
- Ways to Answer
- Questions About Other People
- ใช่ไหม - Questions About You
- หรือ เปล่า - Questions About You
- Vocabulary Review
- Practice Important Phrases
- Revisit the Dialog Recording
- Getting started with nouns
- This one, or That one
- Dialog: What is this?
- Vocabulary for This Lesson
- Overview of Spelling and Tone
- Practice Recognizing Words
- Practice Recognizing Spelling
- Practice Identifying Correct Tone
- Practice Word Meaning
- Practice Word Handwriting
- Practice Word Typing
- Study the Thai Dialog
- Listen and Identify Nouns
- Practice using นี่ , นั่น , and โน่น
- Questions using This and That
- Practice Questions with อะไร
- This and That Questions with ใช่ไหม
- Q and A using นี่ , นั่น , and โน่น
- Listen, Repeat, and Answer
- Revisiting the Lesson Dialog
- Reviewing Ways to Form Questions
- More Practice Questions
More to come . . .
Active Thai is a work in progress. Please check back often for new lessons.