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Thai Words

Most irritating word: 27 members have voted

  1. 1. Most irritating word:

    • Glai Glai (far and near)
      31%
      7
    • Ngern (money)
      36%
      8
    • Kaao (rice, white, etc...)
      4%
      1
    • Pom (I, hair, slim)
      4%
      1
    • Other (please post)
      22%
      5

Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

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Top Posters In This Topic

How about "maa" - as in "a dog and a horse are coming"

หมา กับ ม้า มา - maa gap maa maa. :o

I didn't vote for it, but งึมงำ [MS]nguem [M]ngam 'grumble, mutter' seems a fair farang tongue twister of a word.

Anything starting with NG.

It's amazing the reaction I get when my friends realise I am warning them a snake is near their foot and not a rat. Lol

NL

  • Author
Anything starting with NG.

It's amazing the reaction I get when my friends realise I am warning them a snake is near their foot and not a rat. Lol

NL

near their feet or in their heads? hua ngoo... :o

i always found the eua sound the most difficult: like in cheua (believe)

I think this topic is confussing tones with pronounciation. For me and other farangs the 'ng' sound is one of the most difficult to pronounce but the other examples, listed in your poll, are just differentiated by the tone. As long as your tones are right then you should be understood. For example:

Nguu - normal tone

Nuu - rising tone

i always found the eua sound the most difficult: like in cheua (believe)

I practice that one a lot: "Mai cheua!" I reply when a young lady tells me how handsome I am. :o

i always found the eua sound the most difficult: like in cheua (believe)

I practice that one a lot: "Mai cheua!" I reply when a young lady tells me how handsome I am. :o

But wouldn't putting mai before it make it 'no believe' ie not believable?

i always found the eua sound the most difficult: like in cheua (believe)

I practice that one a lot: "Mai cheua!" I reply when a young lady tells me how handsome I am. :o

But wouldn't putting mai before it make it 'no believe' ie not believable?

Exactly! Means "I don't believe you".

P.S. Love your avatar. This was taken at Nai Harn beach, Phuket:

dscn65433eh.jpg

The new airport near Chonburi - Nong Nuu How - can't spell it in Thai yet.

บุญมี

The new airport near Chonburi - Nong Nuu How - can't spell it in Thai yet.

บุญมี

หนองงูเห่า

nawng[RL] nguu[MS] hao[LS]

Swamp/Lake Snake Bark = Cobra Swamp.

In this case it is more likely to mean "swamp" than lake... otherwise they would need to equip all Thai-bound 747 and Airbuses with pontoons and pick the passengers up with longtail boat to get into the terminal building. :o

The Ng words are the biggest problem

I once asked my teacher why the pronounciation of the NG was different for the word for money and the word for snake

Her answer.....That is the Thai language.....

Should know better than to ask a hard question :o

The Ng words are the biggest problem

I once asked my teacher why the pronounciation of the NG was different for the word for money and the word for snake

Her answer.....That is the Thai language.....

Should know better than to ask a hard question :o

English is just as bad gb, how about: good food wood mood

bull hull pull dull- different vowel lengths or sound

Incidentally how is the NG different in เงิน and งู?

The Ng words are the biggest problem

I once asked my teacher why the pronounciation of the NG was different for the word for money and the word for snake

Her answer.....That is the Thai language.....

Should know better than to ask a hard question :o

English is just as bad gb, how about: good food wood mood

bull hull pull dull- different vowel lengths or sound

Incidentally how is the NG different in เงิน and งู?

in the prononciation of the initial Ng sound.....ask a Thai to say both words and hear the difference

...

English is just as bad gb, how about: good food wood mood 

bull hull pull dull-  different vowel lengths or sound...

..and how about: bough, through, though, cough :o

I don't hear a difference, nor do my Thai friends...

I rest my case.... :o:D

...

English is just as bad gb, how about: good food wood mood 

bull hull pull dull-  different vowel lengths or sound...

..and how about: bough, through, though, cough :o

Also....to go do ho lo too no two so poo

I find the words for Sweat "Ngeua" and Uncomprehending "Ngong" to be some of the hardest to get right.

Cheers

Michael

I find the words for Sweat "Ngeua" and Uncomprehending "Ngong" to be some of the hardest to get right.

Cheers

Michael

How about ฟรั่งงง (foreigner does not have a clue.)

Actually, I donjt think I have had any problem with the "gn" sound. This was discussed in another forum and I believe the sound exists in English at the start of a syllable.

Take the word "singing". This is pronouned "sing-nging" in English. Try it.

However, I am afraid I too have terrible problems with เหงื่อ because of the vowel. Same with เชื่อ et cetera

I find the words for Sweat "Ngeua" and Uncomprehending "Ngong" to be some of the hardest to get right.

Cheers

Michael

How about ฟรั่งงง (foreigner does not have a clue.)

Actually, I donjt think I have had any problem with the "gn" sound. This was discussed in another forum and I believe the sound exists in English at the start of a syllable.

Take the word "singing". This is pronouned "sing-nging" in English. Try it.

However, I am afraid I too have terrible problems with เหงื่อ because of the vowel. Same with เชื่อ et cetera

I beg to disagree, 'singing' in English is pronounced,' sing-ing', unless you have sinus problems or a heavy cold in which case it is certainly-'sing-nging'. The sinus sufferers have a big advantage here in their Thai pronunciation, but the downside is every word begins with 'ng'!

Has to be "nguang nawn" as in being sleepy.

Took me years to be able to say Geeow as in "glass", but I have mastered it now, one of the few words.

and how about: bough, through, though, cough 

there are 9 different phonetic sounds for "ough" in English -

hiccough is the only one that I know with a "up"

and how about: bough, through, though, cough 

there are 9 different phonetic sounds for "ough" in English -

hiccough is the only one that I know with a "up"

Actually 10 if you count "hough" which is the old spelling of "hock". :o

Snowleopard

and how about: bough, through, though, cough 

there are 9 different phonetic sounds for "ough" in English -

hiccough is the only one that I know with a "up"

Actually 10 if you count "hough" which is the old spelling of "hock". :o

Snowleopard

10!!! :D OK, I was only thinking of single-sound words ending in "ough", so hiccough wouldn't be one of them and neither would "thought".

Ignoring my restrictions, can someone list the other phonetic sounds? Not that I don't believe you guys... :D

and how about: bough, through, though, cough 

there are 9 different phonetic sounds for "ough" in English -

hiccough is the only one that I know with a "up"

Actually 10 if you count "hough" which is the old spelling of "hock". :o

Snowleopard

10!!! :D OK, I was only thinking of single-sound words ending in "ough", so hiccough wouldn't be one of them and neither would "thought".

Ignoring my restrictions, can someone list the other phonetic sounds? Not that I don't believe you guys... :D

"A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed."

Snowleopard

and how about: bough, through, though, cough 

there are 9 different phonetic sounds for "ough" in English -

hiccough is the only one that I know with a "up"

Actually 10 if you count "hough" which is the old spelling of "hock". :o

Snowleopard

10!!! :D OK, I was only thinking of single-sound words ending in "ough", so hiccough wouldn't be one of them and neither would "thought".

Ignoring my restrictions, can someone list the other phonetic sounds? Not that I don't believe you guys... :D

"A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed."

Snowleopard

Sorry, Snowy - you're 4 short... :D

The combination ough can be pronounced in fourteen different ways:

1. awe: thought, bought, fought, brought, ought, sought, nought, wrought

2. uff: enough, rough, tough, slough, Clough, chough

3. ooh: through, slough

4. oh: though, although, dough, doughnut, broughm, Ough, furlough, Greenough, thorough

5. off: cough, trough

6. ow: bough, plough, sough

7. ou: drought, doughty, Stoughton

8. uh: Scarborough, borough, thorough (alt), thoroughbred, Macdonough, Poughkeepsie

9. up: hiccoughed

10. oth: trough (alt)

11. ock: lough, hough

12. oc[h](aspirated): lough

13. ahf: Gough

14. og: Coughlin (also #5)

The following sentence contains them all:

Rough-coated(2), dough-faced(4), thoughtful(1) ploughman(6) John Gough(13) strode through(3) the streets of Loughborough(2+8); after falling into a slough(2) on Coughlin(14) road near the lough(12) (dry due to drought)(7), he coughed(5) and hiccoughed(9), then checked his horse's houghs(11)and washed up in a trough(10).

:D

Now will you understand why I never let up on an opportunity to complain about the lack of order in the English spelling system??

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