Letter Writing

Lesson Purpose:

At the end of this lesson you will be able to…

1. correctly place vowels and consonants on Thai paper.
2. correctly write the 8 new letters in this unit.

Lesson Instructions:

1. Read and understand the information about the placement of vowels and consonants on Thai paper.
2. Use one of the methods below to practice writing the 8 new letters in this unit.

Below are the 8 new letters in this chapter.

We are going to write them all. First, though, let’s look at several important things you must know about the paper they are written on.

Part 1: How Thai Paper is Used

First, it has 3 sections – top, middle and bottom.

Second, consonants always go in the middle section.

Third, vowels can go above, below, to the right, or to the left of the consonant, as marked by the dotted circles below.

Finally, as you learned earlier, Thai vowels are never left alone. If you want to write just the vowel, pair it with the consonant อ, like you see below.

You can also use either of these placeholders if you like them better.

Part 2: Writing

There are several ways you can practice writing the letters, which you can see below. Whichever method you choose, be sure to practice pronouncing the letters. You should say each letter OUT LOUD every time you write it, using the audio on the flashcards to perfect your pronunciation.

Writing Method 1 (recommended)

1. Click on this link to download and print your PDF Writing Workbook.

Writing Method 2

If you don’t have a printer, simply look at the letters in the flashcards above and practice writing them on a blank piece of paper. I don’t recommend using regular lined paper because there is no space to write the vowels that are above and below consonants. Here’s an example from a beginning student.

Writing Method 3

Buy a notebook designed to write Thai letters. They are cheap and easy to find. If you’re in Thailand, go to any bookstore (or even 7-11). If you’re not in Thailand, you can get one on Amazon.

Writing Method 4

There are many ways to use tablets to write on PDF documents or images. Just Google your make and model for instructions. Or, head over to our forum and talk to some other learners. Here is how I did it on my old iPad.