Thai has 44 consonants divided into three classes — Mid, High, and Low. The class of the first consonant in a word determines which tones are possible. Each consonant has a full two-part name: the sound it makes, plus an example word that starts with that letter (like A for Apple in English).
| Tone | Thai Name | Mark | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | สามัญ (saa-maan) | — | Flat, even pitch | มา maa — Come |
| Low | เอก (ek) | ◌่ mai ek | Slightly lower than mid | ข้า khaa — Servant |
| Falling | โท (tho) | ◌้ mai tho | Starts high, drops low | ข้าว khaao — Rice |
| High | ตรี (dtree) | ◌๊ mai dtree | Higher than mid, flat | น้ำ naam — Water |
| Rising | จัตวา (jat-ta-waa) | ◌๋ mai jat-ta-waa | Starts low, rises up | หมา maa — Dog |