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Special rules for silent letters

There is a special symbol " อ์​ " which is used to make the consonant it is above silent. It is mainly used in foreign words and it helps to keep the original spelling.

For example: "John" is " จอห์น​ ".

Sometimes you will see an English word without this cancellation symbol.

For example: "golf" was written " กอล์ฟ​ " and also " กอลฟ​ "


These are some examples:
- ทุกข์ took sorrow, misery
- สตางค์ sa-tang satang (1-100th tical)
- รถยนต์ rot-yon car
- ศัพท์ sup vocabulary, words
- กุมภาพันธ์ goom-paa-pun February
- พิมพ์ pim to print
- บริบูรณ์ bor-ri-boon to be complete
- สัตว์ sut animal
- สัตย์ sut honesty
- ทรัพย์ sup property
- แพทย์ paet doctor
- วันอาทิตย์ wan-ar-tit Sunday
- วันศุกร์ wan-sook Friday
- วันเสาร์ wan-sao Saturday
- สัปดาห์ sup-daa week
- วงศ์ wong race, family, stock
- ปอนด์ bporn pound

Sometimes the last two letters are silent even though only one has the cancellation symbol:

For example:
- วันจันทร์​ wan-jun Monday
- ราษฎร์​ raat realm
- ศาสตร์​ saat branch or field of knowledge
- ภูมิศาสตร์​ poom-mi-saat geography

If the cancellation symbol is placed over a consonant with a superscript or subscript vowel, then both are silent. You will see this more often with " ธิ​ " and " ธุ​ ".

For example:
- สิทธิ์​ sit rights, privileges
- บริสุทธิ์​ bor-ri-soot pure
- วัดโพธิ์​ wut-po Wat Pho
- พันธุ์​ pun kind, breed, species

Sometimes the final cosonant is silent even though there is no cancellation symbol. This letter is usually " ร ".

For example:
- เครื่องจักร​ kreaung-jug machine
- สมัคร​ sa-mug to apply, to volunteer
- เพชร​ pet diamond
- บุตร​ boot son
- บัตร​ but card
- มิตร​ mit friend
- มหาสมุทร​ ma-haa-sa-moot ocean

The cancellation symbol is usually only used at the end of words. However, there are some words where a letter in the middle is silent and it isn't marked. These are often " ร " but not always.

For example:
   
- สามารถ​ saa-maat to be able, can
- ปรารถนา​ bpraat-tha-naa to desire, to wish
- เกียรติยศ​ giat-dti-yot honor
- ศรีษะ​ see-sa head

   
- พราหมณ์​
praam Brahman

   
- เพชณฆาต​
pet-cha-kaat executioner

Sometimes there is a final consonant where only the superscript or subscript vowel is silent. These are usually " ตุ​ " and " ติ​ ", but also " ดิ​ ", " ฎิ​ " and " มิ​ "

For example:
ตุ    
- เหตุ het reason, cause
- ธาตุ​ taat element

ติ    
- ชาติ​ chaat nationality
- ญาติ​ yaat relative
- เกียรติ​ giat honor
- อนุมัติ​ a-noo-mut permission
- ประวัติ​ bpra-wut history, record
- สมมุติ​ som-moot to suppose

ดิ    
- จักรพรรดิ​
jug-ga-put emperor

ฎิ    
- โกฏิ​
gort ten million 

มิ    
- อุณหภูมิ​
aoon-na-ha-poom temperature
 
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