If you could, help me say “ระนอง ระยอง ยะลา”, pronounced as ránɔɔŋ ráyɔɔŋ yálaa. 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. 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!
The Benefits Of 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 tones can be heard when you say “may mày mây máy mǎy”. This is going to be so difficult for Thai learners. And it’s also considerably more difficult when you have to pay attention to the vowel sounds.
Fortunately, if you successfully complete this lesson 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. ชามเขียวคว่ำเช้า ชามขาวคว่ำค่ำ (Chaam khǐaw khwâm cháaw chaam khǎaw khwâm khâm)
This phrase literally means “the green bowl is turned upside in the morning, the white bowl is turned upside in the evening”.
2. เช้าฟาดผักฟัก เย็นฟาดฟักผัด (Cháaw fâat phàk fák yen fâat fák phàt)
It means “eat squash stir-fried in the morning, eat stir-fried squash in the evening”. They play with the words “ผัดฟัก” and “ฟักผัด”, meaning stir-fried squash. You can start with “ผัด” or “ฟัก” in Thai and get the same meaning, no matter which one you choose.
3. ระนอง ระยอง ยะลา (Ránɔɔŋ ráyɔɔŋ yálaa)
As we said from the beginning, this is Thailand’s tourism hot spot-rich region. Inspiring yourself to visit these cities one day may be as simple as practicing this sentence often.
4. ใครขายไข่ไก่ (Khray khǎay khàykày)
It indicates “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 (khray) – Who
- ขาย (khǎay) – Sell
- ไข่ (khày) – Egg
- ไก่ (kày) – Chicken
5. รถยนต์ล้อยาง รถลางล้อเหล็ก (rótyon lɔ́ɔ yaaŋ thalǎaŋ lɔ́ɔ lèk)
It basically implies “A car with iron wheels and a car with rubber wheels”. But it’s not as easy as you believe!
6. ยักษ์ใหญ่ไล่ยักษ์เล็ก ยักษ์เล็กไล่ยักษ์ใหญ่ (Yák yày lây yák lék yák lék lây yák yày)
This is the most well-known phrase in Thai culture, and it’s even featured in a song. That’s what it says: “A big monster chases a small giant, and a small giant chases an even larger.”
7. หมู หมึก กุ้ง (Mǔu mʉ̀k kûŋ)
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. กินมันติดเหงือก กินเผือกติดฟัน กินทั้งมัน กินทั้งเผือก ติดทั้งเหงือก ติดทั้งฟัน (Kin man tìt ŋʉ̀ak kin phʉ̀ak tìt fan kin tháŋ man kin tháŋ phʉ̀ak tìt tháŋ ŋʉ̀ak tìt tháŋ fan)
This could be the longest tongue twister from Thailand. 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. ทหารถือปืนแบกปูนไปโบกตึก (Thahǎan thʉ̌ʉ pʉʉn bɛ̀ɛk puun pay bòok tʉ̀k)
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. ไหมใหม่ไม่ไหม้ (Mǎy mày mây mây)
It’s more of a tone of voice, which indicates that “new silk doesn’t burn”. As a clarification:
- ไหม (mǎy) – Silk
- ใหม่ (mày) – New
- ไม่ (mây) – Don’t/No
- ไหม้ (mây) – Burn
Summary
As a result, you can practice much with Thai vowel sounds and tones, which will help you correctly pronounce all the Thai tongue twisters. Make sure you aren’t putting greater pressure on yourself, though. As well, learning the Thai language isn’t a quick process. Using this method, you’ll effectively pronounce any Thai words and expressions while preventing misunderstandings when speaking to locals.
Learn Thai With The Ling App
Are tongue twisters helpful in improving your pronunciation? Your next step is to continue your studies to get even better! The Ling App has a wealth of materials to support you in reaching your desired level of proficiency in the language. Not only will you be able to correctly pronounce Thai, but you’ll also be able to confidently follow conversations in actual Thai. So you can impress the locals with your command of the Thai language.
Are you eager to discover more? So download the Ling App from the Google PlayStore and Apple AppStore now, and prepare to be fluent in Malay very soon!
Updated by: Gwyn
