Thai Language "Pronunciation"

[ilink360]

How to pronounce (bpai / bpee & bpen) in Thai Language.

I am a very beginner and i am taking it so hard to pronounce, Hope someone can help me out, thanks in advance!

[KhunBENQ]

It's a guessing game to find out what your transcriptions supposed to mean.

Transcriptions are ambigious and chaotic.

"bpai" (bai, pai, phai) could be mapped to about a dozen different Thai words.

Please write what English words you mean.

And there are talking dictonaries where you often get a hit, like:

http://www.thai-language.com/dict

If "bpai" should stand for "go"/"go away" then you could listen here:

http://www.thai-language.com/mp3/E131130.mp3

From:

http://www.thai-language.com/id/131130

[Gsxrnz]

The Bp sound you're looking for is a cross between a B and P, but it's neither.

If you convince yourself not to say a definite P or a definite B, you'll probably get it right. I think of it as a slightly aspirated B. However there are other words that require a slightly aspirated P as well, so be careful.

You'll also have to learn the DT sound. Neither a D or T.

[Briggsy]

Are you a native English speaker?

Say "spy" and take away the "s".

[ilink360]

It's a guessing game to find out what your transcriptions supposed to mean.

Transcriptions are ambigious and chaotic.

"bpai" (bai, pai, phai) could be mapped to about a dozen different Thai words.

Please write what English words you mean.

And there are talking dictonaries where you often get a hit, like:

http://www.thai-language.com/dict

If "bpai" should stand for "go"/"go away" then you could listen here:

http://www.thai-language.com/mp3/E131130.mp3

From:

http://www.thai-language.com/id/131130

I appreciate your concern about my query and also your response!

I am basically starting to learn Thai language so i just got it hard to pronounce so i post this thread. However, i do not know where to start learning Thai but i really want to get good grip on it especially as a "Tourist".

[ilink360]

Are you a native English speaker?

Say "spy" and take away the "s".

Hi, thanks!

Doesn't it sound like saying 'Beep' with your lips close?

[Briggsy]

Are you a native English speaker?

Say "spy" and take away the "s".

Hi, thanks!

Doesn't it sound like saying 'Beep' with your lips close?

No

The / b / in beep uses your voice box.

The / p / in spy does not use your voicebox.

Place your hand on your throat and you will see.

[ilink360]

Are you a native English speaker?

Say "spy" and take away the "s".

Hi, thanks!

Doesn't it sound like saying 'Beep' with your lips close?

No

The / b / in beep uses your voice box.

The / p / in spy does not use your voicebox.

Place your hand on your throat and you will see.

Thanks man i got it!

Can you give me some ideas how and from where i can learn Thai in an appropriate order from basic to onward as i have not clue what to do?

I don't know either you are an English speaker or a Native Thai would highly appreciate it!!!

[regdddd]

Are you a native English speaker?

Say "spy" and take away the "s".

Not really Spy in english is slightly different to me you will sound farang im talking about word stress and tone

OP If you know Chinese pinyin it's bāi

[Briggsy]

Are you a native English speaker?

Say "spy" and take away the "s".

Not really Spy in english is slightly different to me you will sound farang im talking about word stress and tone

OP If you know Chinese pinyin it's bāi

To be frank, I don't think introducing the Romanisation of Chinese script will help the OP at all.

/ b / represents a voiced labial (using the lips) consonant. Whilst ป as in ไป, / p / as in 'pai', meaning to go is an unvoiced labial consonant.

The OP is asking about ป, / p / not the quality of the diphthong, ไ , / ai /.

He would like to know how to pronounce the unaspirated, unvoiced / p /.

[asiaexpat]

There many good pronunciation guides available on You Tube and the web.

[regdddd]

Are you a native English speaker?

Say "spy" and take away the "s".

Not really Spy in english is slightly different to me you will sound farang im talking about word stress and tone

OP If you know Chinese pinyin it's bāi

To be frank, I don't think introducing the Romanisation of Chinese script will help the OP at all.

/ b / represents a voiced labial (using the lips) consonant. Whilst ป as in ไป, / p / as in 'pai', meaning to go is an unvoiced labial consonant.

The OP is asking about ป, / p / not the quality of the diphthong, ไ , / ai /.

He would like to know how to pronounce the unaspirated, unvoiced / p /.

I see I know b in thai isn't the same as b in mandarin but ป in thai is b in mandarin that's why i said if he knows

OP, Briggsy is right it's P as in spy

Edited March 25, 2016 by regdddd

[bearpolar]

as stated previously, do not listen to people telling you to do this and that

Listen to thai pronunciation and pronounce the damn bp

It's not a p nor a b. its bp.

[Saastrajaa]

as stated previously, do not listen to people telling you to do this and that

Listen to thai pronunciation and pronounce the damn bp

It's not a p nor a b. its bp.

There is no such thing as a "bp". ป is an unaspirated, unvoiced labial stop, or unaspirated "p". The difficulty in producing this sound for English speakers is, we don't have the sound at the beginning of words...it's always "hidden" behind an "s".

I teach another Southeast Asian language that has many of the same sounds as Thai, and the "say the word 'spy,' or 'spool,' or 'spike,' etc., and then remove the s, being careful to maintain the p the same way you're pronouncing it in those words" trick is exactly what I tell my students to do; it can be quite helpful. Of course, imitating a native speaker is the best way to go, but one doesn't always have access to a native speaker, so the "sp minus the s" trick is a useful one for native speakers of English.

BTW, the same trick works for other unaspirated, unvoiced initial stop consonants like "k" (ก) and "t" (ต)...try English words such as "skate," and "sky," and "stake," and "stool," concentrating on how the k/t sounds in those words, and then slowly removing the "s" and trying to pronounce the words without the s but with "k" and "t" sounding the same way they do in those words.

[bearpolar]

this is exactly why op should not listen to anybody and only listen to thai prononciation

farang and their need to change ก into a K when it's a clear G in most words is simply ridiculous.

Don'T listen to anybody, get a thai person or the talking thai dictionary from paiboon on the app stores and pronounce it like her. That way you won't end up being an other farang that pronounces the word chicken the way egg should be said.

Really want to see a K loving farang ordering "bami giao/บะหมี่เกี๊ยว" by using the letter K. bami kiao .. yellow & green noodles?

Or he'll send lek to the market to get a chicken to eat ticks in the backyard and she'll come back with a dozen eggs

Edited March 26, 2016 by bearpolar

[Saastrajaa]

this is exactly why op should not listen to anybody and only listen to thai prononciation

farang and their need to change ก into a K when it's a clear G in most words is simply ridiculous.

Don'T listen to anybody, get a thai person or the talking thai dictionary from paiboon on the app stores and pronounce it like her. That way you won't end up being an other farang that pronounces the word chicken the way egg should be said.

Really want to see a K loving farang ordering "bami giao/บะหมี่เกี๊ยว" by using the letter K. bami kiao .. yellow & green noodles?

Or he'll send lek to the market to get a chicken to eat ticks in the backyard and she'll come back with a dozen eggs

Haha, you didn't read anything in my post, did you? "unaspirated, unvoiced k" (okay, "velar stop" is more accurate) does NOT mean "English k". You have no idea what you're talking about. Show a little respect for someone who's been successfully teaching these things for 26 years, son.

[bearpolar]

No respect to be shown to people who simply can't understand that

G, BP and DT are accurate. There's no reason to go around and find other ways to pronounce easy letters.

[tgeezer]

I think that the reason that Thai books don't make a issue over this is that things can be made over complicated. The best way is to learn words and not fuss over the differences between initial letters. Knowing that บ่ง (bong) =ระบุ for instance, when it appears you won't care whether it sounds like ป่ง (pong) because you will hear a verb. ใบ ไป are similar เขาใบตลาด must be เขาไปตลาด .

ไก ไข could be confused but so long as you say one softly and the other with force so that you can feel air coming out of your mouth no problem.

A good teacher will point out if you get it wrong, phonetics are only a guide.

[Richard W]

No respect to be shown to people who simply can't understand that G, BP and DT are accurate. There's no reason to go around and find other ways to pronounce easy letters.

Don't you find it odd that by your reckoning Thai lacks GK? Or for that matter, that it seemingly lacks JCH?

You might want to come up with an explanation as to why the Khmu of Lao need an extra letter, 'LAO LETTER KHMU GO'.

Also, you ought to understand why Pattani Malay gigi 'tooth' has the recommended spelling (RID manual for writing Pattani Malay - ISBN 978-616-7073-25-5) กฺีกฺี with phinthu under the consonants. The Narathiwat dialect of Thai has /g/ in Malay loanwords which contrasts from the /k/ of ไก่. If I understand you, we should treat Thai speakers of the far south with disrespect.

[bearpolar]

what does a few rare exception(from muslims who are bombing the country) have to do with teaching common people the right pronunciation of a word

[futsukayoi]

Are you a native English speaker?

Say "spy" and take away the "s".

Not really Spy in english is slightly different to me you will sound farang im talking about word stress and tone

OP If you know Chinese pinyin it's bāi

Actually he is correct. As pointed out in the following post :-

"He would like to know how to pronounce the unaspirated, unvoiced / p /."

That is the p in English spy. Linguistics sites or books will help clarify the terms and how to reproduce.

[futsukayoi]

as stated previously, do not listen to people telling you to do this and that

Listen to thai pronunciation and pronounce the damn bp

It's not a p nor a b. its bp.

Sadly this will not work for a lot of people. Linguistic research shows that adults often do not hear a difference in some of these sounds and sounds not occurring in a language can be "heard" as a closely related sound. This is one of the reasons why people starting to learn languages as adults find it almost impossible to achieve completely accent free pronunciation.

[bearpolar]

Doesnt matter, you can start to say ball then switch after b to pie. Simple stuff after a couple tries

[Saastrajaa]

what does a few rare exception(from muslims who are bombing the country) have to do with teaching common people the right pronunciation of a word

Ah, so you're an anti-Muslim racist too. Much is becoming clear.

[Saastrajaa]

Doesnt matter, you can start to say ball then switch after b to pie. Simple stuff after a couple tries

How many people do you need to rip you a new one before you just simply run off with your tail between your legs and hide? You're playing out of your league on this forum, boy. Pack it in.

[bearpolar]

what does a few rare exception(from muslims who are bombing the country) have to do with teaching common people the right pronunciation of a word

Ah, so you're an anti-Muslim racist too. Much is becoming clear.

Was waiting for an angry person spouting nonsense about Islamophobia. It's not "in" anymore to defend the pedophile loving religion of misogynist anti-infidels rape enthusiasts.

Also, muslims are not a race, simply people of any race who chose to hate the rest of the world and decided to use the rest of the world's acceptance to get in on the good stuff of the twenty first century. Good try though.

Instead of being mad you could simply learn "bp" and "dt"

Edited April 2, 2016 by bearpolar