Wai Greeting & Tone Pronunciation Coach
5 Thai tones, wai height rules, and 20+ useful phrases.
What this solves
Thai has 5 tones (mid, low, falling, high, rising), and mispronouncing a tone can change a word completely ("khao" means rice, "kao" means news). The wai is a hand-folded greeting that varies in height based on the recipient's status. This coach teaches both with 20+ practical phrases and audio-mimicking text.
How to read results
Each phrase shows Thai script, romanization, IPA-style tone marker (1–5 for the 5 tones), and an audio-mimicking description. The wai height column tells you where to position hands (chest for peers, nose for elders, mouth for monks, no wai for children). Monk rules are special — women should not touch monks or hand objects directly.
Limitations
- Romanization varies; the same word may be written differently in different textbooks.
- Tone-marker symbols here are illustrative — actual pronunciation requires listening to a native speaker.
- Wai etiquette differs in Isan (Northeast) and southern regions.
FAQ
Should I wai first?
It depends on status. When in doubt, a slight bow + smile is universally safe. Foreigners are not expected to wai perfectly — Thais understand and appreciate the effort.
What are the 5 Thai tones?
Mid (flat, normal pitch), Low (flat, low pitch), Falling (starts high drops to low), High (flat, high pitch), Rising (starts low rises to high). Same syllable, 5 different tones = 5 different words.
What does "krub" and "ka" mean?
Polite sentence-ending particles — men say "krub" (ครับ), women say "ka" (ค่ะ). They make statements polite and are expected in formal contexts.
Sources
- Thai Language Institute — official Thai tones reference.
- Paiboon Publishing — standard Thai romanization.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand — published phrasebook for visitors.