Thai Dictionary L to Z
Simple Thai words from L to Z for travellers in Thailand.
This page is a basic Thai-English word list, using simple English-style pronunciation. It is not formal Thai transliteration, but it should help with everyday travel words, signs, shopping, food, hotels and getting around.
Thai has tones, so English spelling will never be perfect. I have kept the pronunciation simple and consistent, using plain traveller-style spelling rather than a formal language-school system.
L
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| lake | thale saap |
| lamp | khom fai |
| language | phasa |
| large | yai |
| last month | duen tee laew |
| last week | ah-tit tee laew |
| last year | pee tee laew |
| late | saai |
| laundry | raan sak pha |
| law | kot mai |
| lawn / grass | sanam ya |
| leader | phoo num |
| leg | khaa |
| lemon / lime | ma-nao |
| letter | jod mai |
| library | hong samoot |
| life | cheewit |
| light | fai |
| lightweight | bao |
| like | chawp |
| lip | rim fee bpaak |
| litre | lit |
| little, not much | noi |
| little, small | lek |
| live at, be at | yoo |
| long | yaao |
| look | doo |
| love | raak |
| low | taam |
| lucky | chock dee |
| lunch | ahaan klang wan |
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M
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| make | tum |
| man | phoo chai |
| manager | phoo jakarn |
| mango | ma-muang |
| mangosteen | mangkuut |
| map | phantee |
| market | thalaad |
| marry | tang ngaan |
| medicine | yaa |
| meet | pop |
| melt | lalaai |
| member | samachik |
| midday | tiang waan |
| midnight | tiang kuen |
| minute | nah-tee |
| money | ngern or tang |
| month | duen |
| moon | duang jun |
| more | eek |
| mother | mae |
| mountain | phu khao |
| much | maak |
| music | phleang |
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N
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| nail | lep |
| name | chue |
| near | glai |
| necessary | cham pen |
| neck | kor |
| necklace | soi kor |
| need not / do not have to | mai dtong |
| neighbourhood | puean baan |
| nephew | larn chai |
| never | mai koey |
| new | mai |
| new Year | pee mai |
| newspaper | nung-seu-pim |
| next week | ah-tit nah |
| night | klang kuean |
| night time | dtohn glang keun |
| nobody | mai mee krai |
| north | nuar |
| nose | ja mook |
| now | dee-ow nee |
| nurse | pa yaa barn |
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O
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| occupation | aa-chip |
| ocean | ocean |
| of | khong |
| office | samnak ngaan |
| oil | nam man |
| old (people) | gae |
| old (things) | gao |
| on | bon |
| open | perd |
| opportunity | oh-gaht |
| opposite | trong kham |
| orange | som |
| out | khang nok |
| owner | jao khong |
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P
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| paper | kradaad |
| park a car | jod |
| park / garden | suan sa-tha-ra-na |
| passenger | phoo doy sarn |
| pen | bparkaa |
| pencil | din sor |
| pepper | prik thai |
| person / people | kon |
| phone | toh ra saab |
| photo / picture | roop, paap, roop-paap |
| place | sa tharn tee |
| play | len |
| police | tum-ruat |
| police Station | satanee tum-ruat |
| poor | yak jon |
| post Office | prai-sanee |
| price | raa kaa |
| problem | bpun-haa |
| put | wung |
| put in / put on | sai, suam |
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Q
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| quake | wai, san |
| quality | khun na phaap |
| quantity | pa ri maan |
| queen | raa chi nee |
| question | khum tharm |
| quick | reaw |
| quiet | nge-ab |
| quit | klaa ohk |
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R
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| railway station | sa-tha-nee rot fai |
| rain | fon |
| rainbow | roong |
| rat | noo |
| read | ahn |
| ready | promp |
| real | jing |
| reason | hed phon |
| recognise / remember | jam dai |
| red | see dang |
| refrigerator | dtoo yen |
| relax | pak-pon |
| rent | hai chao |
| respect | kao rop |
| restaurant | raan ar-harn |
| rice | kao |
| ring (jewellery) | waen |
| river | mae naam |
| road | ta-non |
| room | hong |
| run | wing |
| toilet / bathroom | hong nam |
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S
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| sand | sai |
| sea | ta lay |
| season | ru do |
| see | hen |
| sell | kai |
| shoes | rorng-tow |
| sick | pu-aay, mai sa bai |
| slow down | cha cha |
| small | lek |
| son | look chai |
| sour | pree-ow |
| speak / talk | phut |
| station | sa tha nee |
| stay | pak |
| steal | ca-moy |
| steel | lek |
| stop | yoot |
| straight ahead | trong pai |
| sugar | num dtahn |
| sun | duang aa-tid |
| sweet | wahn |
| swim | wai-nahm |
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T
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| table | dto |
| take | ow |
| talk | phood |
| tall | soong |
| tea | chaa |
| teacher | kru, a-jarn |
| temple | wat |
| thank you | khop khun |
| that / those | nan |
| that / those over there | tee noon |
| there | tee nun |
| there are | mee |
| thin | porm |
| think | kid |
| this / these | nee |
| time | we laa |
| to | tung |
| today | wan-nee |
| tomorrow | proong-nee |
| tonight | keun-nee |
| tooth / teeth | fan |
| traffic light | fai ja raa john, fai daeng |
| try (sample) | long doo |
| turn | leao |
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U
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| umbrella | rom |
| uncle | khun loong |
| under | tai |
| understand | kao-jai |
| university | ma haa wittayalai |
| unwell | mai sabai |
| up | to-date – tun sa mai |
| upper | khung bon |
| use | chai |
| usually | pokatee |
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V
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| vacant room | hong wang |
| van | rot dtoo |
| vegetable | paak |
| vegetarian food | a-haarn jay |
| very | maak |
| village | moo bahn |
| visit | pai-haa |
| voice | see-ung |
| volcano | poo khao fai |
| volunteer | ar-saa sa mark |
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W
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| wait | ror |
| walk | dern |
| want / need | dtong gaan |
| watch / clock | na-li-ga |
| watch / look | doo |
| water | naam |
| waterfall | naam tok |
| watermelon | deng mo |
| weather | ar-kard |
| week | sub dah |
| weekend | sood sub dah |
| well, contented | sabai |
| west | ta wan tok |
| wet | pee-ak |
| what? | arai |
| wheel | loh |
| where? | tee-nai |
| white | see kao |
| who | krai |
| whose? | kong krai |
| will | ja |
| wind | lom |
| wish | yahk ja |
| with | gup |
| woman | phoo ying |
| work | tum ngaan |
| write | keyun |
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Y
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| year | pee |
| yes | chai |
| yesterday | meu-a wan nee, meu-a wan |
| yet | yung |
| you | ter / khun |
| young | oon |
| yours | khong ter / khong khun |
| yummy | a-roy |
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Z
| English | Say it like this |
|---|
| postcode / ZIP code | ra-hat prai-sa-nee |
| zero | soon |
| zoo | suan sat |
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This word list keeps the pronunciation simple for travellers. For full phrases, polite endings, numbers, days and months, use the main Thai phrases page.
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Useful Thai Phrases
Thai Dictionary A to K
