If you could, help me say “ระนอง ระยอง ยะลา”, pronounced as rá nɔɔng rá yɔɔng yá laa. Did you get it? Now, I challenge you to say it five times as quickly as possible. If you can’t say it right, you’re not alone. You see, this is one of the most difficult Thai tongue twisters out there. Plus, these aren’t just any words; they’re the names of three provinces in Thailand that you might one day visit.
Here are the 10 Thai tongue twisters you’ve never heard of before that will help you learn the language faster than you ever thought possible! Because of the difficulty of these expressions for both Thai students and native Thai speakers, this topic is for you if you want to learn how to speak Thai with a better accent. Let’s do this together!
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The Benefits Of Thai Tongue Twisters
Tongue twisters help students focus on the tongue motions that are necessary to make the sounds they are trying to mimic. When doing a tongue twister, they can focus on the slight changes in the mouth that develop as the sound changes. Particularly in tonal languages like Thai. Many different Thai tones can be heard when you say a phrase like mǎi mài mâi mâi (). This is going to be difficult for Thai learners, and it’s also considerably more difficult when you have to pay attention to the different vowel sounds of Thai.
Fortunately, if you successfully complete the following Thai tongue twisters and are familiar with a wide range of sound variations, you can sound like a native. Are you ready to put your skills to the test? It’s time to start!
Thai Tongue Twisters
1. Chaam Kǐao Kwâm Cháao Chaam Kǎao Kwâm Kâm (ชามเขียวคว่ำเช้า ชามขาวคว่ำค่ำ)
This phrase literally means “the green bowl is turned upside in the morning, the white bowl is turned upside in the evening”.
2. Cháao Fâat Pàk Fák Yen Fâat Fák Pàt (เช้าฟาดผักฟัก เย็นฟาดฟักผัด)
It means “eat squash stir-fried in the morning, eat stir-fried squash in the evening”. They play with the words pàt fák (ผัดฟัก) and fák pàt (ฟักผัด), meaning stir-fried squash. You can start with pàt (ผัด) or fák (ฟัก) in Thai and get the same meaning, no matter which one you choose.
3. Rá Nɔɔng Rá Yɔɔng Yá Laa (ระนอง ระยอง ยะลา)
As we said from the beginning, this tongue twister refers to Southern Thailand’s tourism hot spots. Inspiring yourself to visit these Thai provinces one day may be as simple as practicing this sentence often!
4. Krai Kǎai Kài Gài (ใครขายไข่ไก่)
This Thai tongue twister asks “who sells chicken eggs“. This may not be as difficult as learning vowel sounds, but it can be difficult for someone who is just starting to learn Thai.
- ใคร (Krai) – “Who”
- ขาย (Kǎai) – “To sell”
- ไข่ (Kài) – “Egg”
- ไก่ (Gài) – “Chicken”
5. Rótyon Lɔ́ɔ Yaaŋ Thalǎaŋ Lɔ́ɔ Lèk (รถยนต์ล้อยาง รถลางล้อเหล็ก)
It basically implies “A car with iron wheels and a car with rubber wheels”. But it’s not as easy as you believe!
6. Yák Yài Lâi Yák Lék Yák Lék Lâi Yák Yài (ยักษ์ใหญ่ไล่ยักษ์เล็ก ยักษ์เล็กไล่ยักษ์ใหญ่)
This is the most well-known phrase in Thai culture, referring to the giants in Thai myth, and it’s even featured in a song! This is what it says: “A big giant chases a small giant, and a small giant chases a big giant.”
7. Mǔu Mʉ̀k Gûng (หมู หมึก กุ้ง)
This is the cutest phrase ever, but it’s difficult to say. Especially if you have to repeat it in a short time, and its definition is “Pig, squid, shrimp”. Fortunately, we’ve got some advice for you. Pronouncing each syllable demands you to overstretch your lip. However, avoid doing so in front of a mirror because you may laugh before you have finished the phrase!
8. Gin Man Tìt Ngʉ̀ak Gin Pʉ̀ak Dtìt Fan Gin Táng Man Gin Táng Pʉ̀ak Dtìt Táng Ngʉ̀ak Dtìt Táng Fan (กินมันติดเหงือก กินเผือกติดฟัน กินทั้งมัน กินทั้งเผือก ติดทั้งเหงือก ติดทั้งฟัน)
This could be the longest Thai tongue twister. It means “eating yam, and it sticks on your gum, eating taro, and it sticks on your teeth, eating both yam and taro cause them to stick on both gum and teeth”. We challenge you to speak as quickly as you can!
9. Tá Hǎan Tʉ̌ʉ Bpʉʉn Bɛ̀ɛk Bpuun Bpai Bòok Dtʉ̀k (ทหารถือปืนแบกปูนไปโบกตึก)
This phrase may sound nonsense, but it’s a fantastic chance to improve your Thai pronunciation. Soldiers carry a gun and cement to construct the building, which is what this phrase indicates. That seems a little strange, doesn’t it?
10. Mǎi Mài Mâi Mâi (ไหมใหม่ไม่ไหม้)
This phrase is more dependent on your tone of voice, meaning “does new silk burn?”. As a clarification:
- ไหม (mǎy) – “Silk”
- ใหม่ (mày) – “New”
- ไม่ (mây) – “Does not/No”
- ไหม้ (mây) – “To burn”
How Do You Say “Tongue Twister” In Thai?
“Tongue twister” in Thai is kam tîi tam hâi lín pan (คำที่ทำให้ลิ้นพัน) . The specific act of your tongue twisting is referred to as lín pan (ลิ้นพัน).
Vocabulary Related To Thai Tongue Twisters
Hopefully you didn’t hurt your tongue saying the Thai tongue twisters above! Here are some related vocabulary terms in Thai so that you have some more knowledge on the terms surrounding this topic.
For more related terms and phrases, try out the Ling app!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Is The Hardest Thai Tongue Twister?
The hardest of the Thai tongue twisters has to be: gin man tìt ngʉ̀ak gin pʉ̀ak dtìt fan gin táng man gin táng pʉ̀ak dtìt táng ngʉ̀ak dtìt táng fan (กินมันติดเหงือก กินเผือกติดฟัน กินทั้งมัน กินทั้งเผือก ติดทั้งเหงือก ติดทั้งฟัน). This tongue twister translates to “eating yam, and it sticks on your gum, eating taro, and it sticks on your teeth, eating both yam and taro cause them to stick on both gum and teeth”. Not only is it one of the longest, but the words used in this tongue twister can be challenging to pronounce!
2. What Is The “Does New Silk Burn” Thai Tongue Twister?
One of the most popular Thai tongue twisters is mǎi mài mâi mâi (ไหมใหม่ไม่ไหม้). On the surface, all the words seem to be the same, but that’s the trick! All the words use a different tone when pronounced, resulting in a popular and funny tongue twister. This phrase roughly translates to “does new silk burn?”
3. What Is The World’s Toughest Tongue Twister ?
In general, the most challenging tongue twister is “the sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick”. It’s so hard, in fact, that it was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records!
Try These Thai Tongue Twisters Today!
As a result, you can practice much with Thai vowel sounds and tones, which will help you correctly pronounce all the Thai tongue twisters we’ve listed here. Make sure you aren’t putting greater pressure on yourself, though, learning the Thai language isn’t a quick process. Also make sure to take breaks, or you’ll actually twist your tongue saying them!
Using this method, you’ll effectively pronounce any Thai words and expressions while preventing misunderstandings when speaking to locals. Keep practicing, and see how quickly your Thai pronunciation will improve!
