Is there any app (or website) where I can enter any arbitrary Thai word which would then show me which tone (middle, low, falling, high, rising) it is?

 

Even better would be if whole sentences could be pasted. The app would then add spaces between the words (helpful to learn reading) and represent the different words in different colors or otherwise clearly mark the tones.

...as previously recommended to you:

 

http://www.thai-language.com

 

Use the main lookup to enter Thai word or phrase, (ie: กลับบ้านกลับช่อง ) to get:

 

 

 

...or click more options here

and use the 5th dialog box to enter an English Gloss and use the site's Built It tool to assemble transcribed Thai sentences with sound and tone guide  

 

 

 

 

....otherwise, there are several character guided to be found online:  https://www.omniglot.com/writing/thai.htm

 

 

I decided to have a go recently at compiling my own Anki card system recently to see if it helps.

 

When I find a word I copy it in to Google translate and also in to thai-language.com . I use both so I get to listen to two sound files (I don't always think Google's sound bite is clear). I then copy the word in Thai to the front of the card and on the back I copy the transliteration WITH the syllable tones and the English meaning on the back (is that a good system? For me, it forces me to read the word in Thai, work out the tones and the English meaning and then check it on the back of the card).

 

Thai-language.com is down currently. While I can work out the syllable tones with reasonable accuracy, I want to be 100% correct. Where can I get the tones from while Thai-language.com is down?

1. Problem solved: use https://thai-notes.com/dictionaries/predictionary.html

 

2. What about my method of making an Ank card, good or bad, is there a better approach?

4 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

2. What about my method of making an Ank card, good or bad, is there a better approach?

Er..that sounds like a faff-around. Why not just use the Thai tone rules? With them you can work out the tone of any Thai word from its spelling.

I think its best to get away from the transliteration and focus on the Thai. And as katana suggested learn and use the tone rules. They appear daunting at first but if you already know the three different classes of consonants the rules can be learned in a few days, maybe not perfectly but enough to get by on. I created a cheat sheet when learning the rules and referred to it frequently.

 

Did you add sound to your Anki cards? My Anki set up is the Thai word on front in small font at the top of the card. Bottom of the card has a field to type the word. A new card loads and without looking up at the Thai word I play the audio using a keyboard shortcut and then try and figure out the combination of characters to achieve the correct spelling. Its necessary to know the tone rules to have a chance at the correct spelling. The answer is on the back side along with corrected spelling errors if any. The audio is mostly from Google and sometimes not so clear as you pointed out.

 

Women learn Thai top 3000 vocab list https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/522426868 has far superior audio, easy to add to your Anki deck if you haven't already.

2 hours ago, katana said:

Er..that sounds like a faff-around. Why not just use the Thai tone rules? With them you can work out the tone of any Thai word from its spelling.

Err, think you mustn't have fully read my earlier post, in which I posted:

 

"While I can work out the syllable tones with reasonable accuracy, I want to be 100% correct."

1 hour ago, KeeTua said:

I think its best to get away from the transliteration and focus on the Thai. And as katana suggested learn and use the tone rules. They appear daunting at first but if you already know the three different classes of consonants the rules can be learned in a few days, maybe not perfectly but enough to get by on. I created a cheat sheet when learning the rules and referred to it frequently.

 

Did you add sound to your Anki cards? My Anki set up is the Thai word on front in small font at the top of the card. Bottom of the card has a field to type the word. A new card loads and without looking up at the Thai word I play the audio using a keyboard shortcut and then try and figure out the combination of characters to achieve the correct spelling. Its necessary to know the tone rules to have a chance at the correct spelling. The answer is on the back side along with corrected spelling errors if any. The audio is mostly from Google and sometimes not so clear as you pointed out.

 

Women learn Thai top 3000 vocab list https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/522426868 has far superior audio, easy to add to your Anki deck if you haven't already.

1. See my response to Katana on tones.

 

2. I don't add sound to Anki cards. if I'm not sure of pronunciation I know I can check it on Google translate or similar or ask a family member.

 

3. Thanks for the tip about Women learn Thai top 3000 vocab list which I'll check out.

 

Quick question for you guys who use Anki.

 

Which is the best process / which did you do:

A. Start your own Anki deck, as i did recently which is a slow process to build up but the words in it as words relevant/found by you personally, OR,

B. import a deck (like Women learn Thai top 3000 vocab list) and add to it?

 

 

1 hour ago, Bredbury Blue said:

3 hours ago, katana said:

Er..that sounds like a faff-around. Why not just use the Thai tone rules? With them you can work out the tone of any Thai word from its spelling.

Err, think you mustn't have fully read my earlier post, in which I posted:

 

"While I can work out the syllable tones with reasonable accuracy, I want to be 100% correct."

What makes you think the Thai tone rules aren't correct?
There are a some irregular words like ตำรวจ but they are few and far between.

As KeeTua said, you should be getting away from transliteration and using Thai script.

15 minutes ago, katana said:

1. What makes you think the Thai tone rules aren't correct?
There are a some irregular words like ตำรวจ but they are few and far between.

2. As KeeTua said, you should be getting away from transliteration and using Thai script.

I added a 1. and 2. to your post.

 

1. You seem to be totally misunderstanding my posts.

 

Obviously Thai tones are correct, they are part of the Thai language structure.

 

My earlier posts were saying that while I understand Thai tones, I don't always get them 100% correct, I'd say I'm probably correct 95% of the time. Hence while I'm still learning to read I like to see the tone(s) of a word in a Thai dictionary online so that i get it correct / as a check against what I think the tone(s) is/are. Hope I've made it clearer this time.

 

2. As stated I learn the Thai script (which I use on the front of an Anki card), but on the back I add a transliteration (maybe later I'll stop doing that when my Thai ability improves) and the English meaning.

 

I would agree that only learning/using transliteration is *troublesome in the long run and learning Thai script is the way to go, but there's certainly nothing wrong with using both transliteration and Thai script (*each of use speak English in our own dialect - Northern English and Southern English would say 'run' totally differently - so the transliteration I use is unique to me).

 

8 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Quick question for you guys who use Anki.

 

Which is the best process / which did you do:

A. Start your own Anki deck, as i did recently which is a slow process to build up but the words in it as words relevant/found by you personally, OR,

B. import a deck (like Women learn Thai top 3000 vocab list) and add to it?

 

 

Can I add another question to this... 

 

Do you use physical Anki cards (physically writing the words feels like a better way to get them to stick in your memory) or do you use eCards and if so which app do you use.

 

 

16 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

I don't add sound to Anki cards. if I'm not sure of pronunciation I know I can check it on Google translate or similar or ask a family member.

Check out the free Anki add-on 'AwesomeTTS' it looks at the Thai field on a card or an entire deck and will download the Google sound file(s). Very slick. Its nice to have the audio to help you correct your pronunciation. Pronounce the word as you think it should sound then listen to the Thai. Repeat the process until you get it right.