The five tones of Central Thai (Siamese) have idealized forms that are produced and have been tested synthetically to determine recongition boundaries. However, in running speech there is considerable variation that can be Intraspeaker differences (different tone articulations at different points in time) Interspeaker differences (differences between individuals and between groups) Stressed syllables High and ... Read more

Thai language learning happens, regardless of teaching and learning methods are used. The question is which methods are more efficient and more enjoyable. As the educator Shanahan once compared teaching methods to medicine: "The iron lung is a good intervention, the polio vaccine is better". Theories and Methods There is nothing so useful as a ... Read more

Thai people do not learn tone rules per se, at least not until around the 3rd or 4th grade (age 10 or so). Even then, few get a firm understanding of the various rules for tones that adult foreigners are taught. Rather they know how to speak Thai correctly because they have learned the skill ... Read more

This is about learning how to hear a new language. Many so-called experts recommend trying to speak immediately, but one cannot say what one cannot hear. Also, while in some cases sounds are considered the same, there are nonetheless differences. Capturing and recognizing these differences is important. Pigeon Holes When there are recognized sounds that ... Read more

Anki is one of the most popular flashcard software programs for memorization, and it is one of the first. It includes a spaced repetition algorithm for optimized learning, and a host of configuration options. Anki is multi-platform (Linux, Mac, Windows, Android, iOS), and free (except for iOS). There is also a web version, and all ... Read more

> In linguistics, prosody is concerned with those elements of speech that are not individual phonetic segments (vowels and consonants) but are properties of syllables and larger units of speech, including linguistic functions such as intonation, tone, stress, and rhythm. Such elements are known as suprasegmentals. Prosody vs. Discrete Phonology In learning Thai, or any ... Read more

The standard Android keyboards such as Android Keyboard (AOSP) and Gboard do not display all the Thai characters. Instead, half the Thai characters are not visible until the shift key is tapped. This is a problem for people who do not have the key positions memorized. Therefore a different keyboard is needed. That keyboard is ... Read more