Master the pronunciation of rhotics and liquids
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| This is ร (r), and this is ล (l) |
| By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to tell them apart, PLUS you'll be practicing them and on your way to perfect pronunciation! |
| I'm Earn, and this is Thai Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| ร (r) is in words like รัก (rák) "to love," รถ (rót) "car" |
| ล (l) is in words like ลม (lom) "wind," ลูก (lûuk) "child" |
| (r) is a trill sound produced by rolling the tongue; |
| (l) is a lateral sound — air flows around the sides of the tongue. |
| The ร (r) sound is made by tapping the tongue tip on the slightly raised spot behind the upper teeth. This sound is a rhotic consonant, and the vibration of the tongue creates a rolling "r" sound. It's similar to the trilled "r" in Spanish or Italian but often shorter in Thai. |
| ร (r) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ร (r) (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ร (r) |
| ร (r) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ร (r) (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ร (r) |
| To make the ล (l) sound, rest your tongue tip lightly against the raised area behind your upper teeth and release the air smoothly around the sides of your tongue. This sound is a lateral consonant, similar to the l sound in English words like light or love. |
| ล (l) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ล (l) (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ล (l) |
| ล (l) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ล (l) (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ล (l) |
| The key difference is that ร (r) is produced with the tongue tapping or trilling against the alveolar ridge, creating a rolling sound, while ล (l) is produced with the tongue touching the alveolar ridge and allowing air to flow smoothly around the sides. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| รา (raa) (ลา) (laa) |
| "mold" vs. "donkey" |
| (space for repetition) |
| รา (raa) (ลา) (laa) |
| "mold" vs. "donkey" |
| ราว (raao) (ลาว) (laao) |
| "approximately" / "Laos, Laotian" |
| (space for repetition) |
| ราว (raao) (ลาว) (laao) |
| "approximately" / "Laos, Laotian" |
| รอย (raauy) (ลอย) (laauy) |
| "trace" / "to float" |
| (space for repetition) |
| รอย (raauy) (ลอย) (laauy) |
| "trace" / "to float" |
| รถ (rót) (ลด) (lót) |
| "car" / "to decrease" |
| (space for repetition) |
| รถ (rót) (ลด) (lót) |
| "car" / "to decrease" |
| Now listen to the following sentences. |
| มีคนลาวราวสิบคนที่นี่ |
| (mii khon-laao raao sìp khon thîi nîi.) |
| "There are approximately ten Laotian people here." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| ราว, ลาว |
| มีรอยเลือดติดบนรองเท้าที่ลอยน้ำอยู่ |
| (mii raauy-lûueat dtìt bon raawng-tháao thîi laauy nám yùu.) |
| "There are traces of blood on a shoe floating in the water." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| รอย, ลอย |
| ลดความเร็วรถในเขตโรงเรียน |
| (lót khwaam-reo rót nai khêet roong-riian.) |
| "Decrease the car's speed in the school zone." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| รถ, ลด |
| Read the following sentences out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| นกทำรังข้างลังไม้ |
| (nók tham rang khâang lang-mái.) |
| "The bird built a nest next to the wooden crate." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| รัง, ลัง |
| โรคนี้ระบาดไปทั่วโลก |
| (rôok níi rá-bàat bpai thûua lôok.) |
| "This disease has spread throughout the world." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| โรค, โลก |
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