Lesson 35

Rare Irregular Consonants ฆ, ฌ, ฎ, ฏ, ฐ, ฑ, ฒ, ฬ

Reading

This lesson covers eight rare irregular consonants.

The first five new consonants are:

CharacterClassPronunciationNameMeaningNotes
ฆLow/kh−/, /−k//khɔɔ ráˑ​khaŋ/Large bell 
ฌLow/ch−/, /−//chɔɔ chəə/Species of treeContrast with ณ, ญ
ฎMid/d−/, /−t//dɔɔ chaˑdaa/Classical headdressContrast with ภ
ฏMid/t−/, /−t//tɔɔ paˑtàk/GoadContrast with ฎ. (There's an extra notch.)
ฬLow/l−/, /−n//lɔɔ cùˑlaa/Kite (toy)Contrast with พ, ฟ

Notes

  1. ฌ can not occur as the final consonant of a syllable.

Here are some more or less common words to practise reading.

 

The final three consonants are all pronounced the same way:

CharacterClassPronunciationNameMeaningNotes
ฐHigh/th−/, /−t//thɔ̌ɔ thǎan/Pedestal 
ฑLow/th−/, /−t//thɔɔ monˑthoo/Montho (name of wife of a giant)Contrast with ท
ฒLow/th−/, /−t//thɔɔ thâw/Elder 

Notes

  1. When combined with ◌ุ or ◌ู, ฐ loses the lower part, i.e. ฐุ, ฐู.
Here are some words to practice reading:

 

Finally, here are words using all eight consonants:

 

Writing

Start with the top left loop, clockwise, and continue in a single stroke.

Start with the bottom left loop, clockwise, and continue in a single stroke.

Start with the loop, anticlockwise, and continue in a single stroke.

Start with the loop, anticlockwise, and continue in a single stroke.

Start with the loop in the body of the character, anticlockwise, and continue in a single stroke. Then lift your pen and write the part of the character which is below the line, starting with the loop, clockwise.

Start with the loop, clockwise, and continue in a single stroke.

Start with the loop, clockwise, and continue in a single stroke.

Start with the loop, clockwise, and continue in a single stroke.