ความกำกวมของสระสั้นและสระยาวในภาษาไทย สำหรับผู้เรียนชาวต่างประเทศ

Abstract

This article aimed to analyze vagueness of Thai short vowels and long vowels by simultaneously examining their spelling and their pronunciation. There are 9 couples of short-vowel and long-vowel monophthongs in Thai, according to the results, 5 couples involve with some vagueness. Some words written by short-vowel forms are pronounced with long-vowel sounds, while many words written by long-vowel forms are pronounced with short-vowel sounds. The vagueness really matters for foreign learners in terms of speaking, reading, and writing. Some vagueness can be explained by some regulations, but most vagueness cannot. So it is really difficult for foreign learners to remember or understand every word. The Thai-Thai Dictionary of the Royal Society of Thailand, especially the online version, which is the most important tool for this issue, should give solutions by giving some written descriptions or by providing audio examples.