Lesson 30

Unwritten /ɔɔ/. Vowel รร

Reading

Previously we've encountered unwritten /a/ and /o/. There is a third possibility, /ɔɔ/.

Case 1: A syllable ends in . For example:

WordPronunciationMeaning
ละคร/láˑkhɔɔn/play
สโมสร/saˑmooˑsɔ̌ɔn/to meet
พร/phɔɔn/blessing
มังกร/maŋˑkɔɔn/dragon

Case 2: The following syllable starts with .

WordPronunciationMeaning
บริษัท/bɔɔˑríˑsàt/firm, business
มรดก/mɔɔˑraˑdòk/heritage
บริวาร/bɔɔˑríˑwaan/slave
ทรมาน/thɔɔˑraˑmaan/to torture

Case 3: No obvious pattern

Occasionally there's an unwritten /ɔɔ/ with no apparent pattern. Most are compounds including บดี (/bɔɔˑdii/ master/ruler) or บพิตร (/bɔɔˑphít/ − the final is silent − pure, sinless) For example:

WordPronunciationMeaning
เสนาบดี/sěeˑnaaˑbɔɔˑdii/minister
บรมบพิตร/bɔɔˑromˑmaˑbɔɔˑphít/Your Majesty
คหบดี/khaˑhaˑbɔɔˑdii/rich

Here are some common words to practise reading.

 

รร functions as a vowel /a/ when in the middle of a syllable, and as vowel + consonant /an/ where there's no final consonant. For example:

WordPronunciationMeaning
โทรทรรศน์/thooˑraˑthát/telescope
วรรค/wák/space
กรรไกร/kanˑkray/scissors
บรรทุก/banˑthúk/transport

Now try reading these words: