| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
bambergasgoigne
Amateur
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 27
|
 Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 6:22 am Post subject: How to pronounce Hua Hin |
 |
|
waa or who-a, who-a or waa - does anyone know for sure ?
I go weeks pronouncing it one way, and then on hearing someone far more knowledgeable pronounce it the other way, I meekly change around.
Is there is a definitive right or wrong.?
and I suppose while your at it,
is it pat-ee-a, or pa-tie-a
is it poo-ket or fu-ket or even fuck-ket
is it fa-rang or fa-lang
is it cap or crap (as in what the men are supposed to say)
Cheers
as you can see my Thai is really coming along !!
Bamber |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
VincentD
Professional
Joined: 22 Jun 2004
Posts: 270
Location: Bangkok
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 6:51 am Post subject: |
|
|
The best (and really only) way to learn how to pronounce any Thai word is to learn how to read and write in Thai. Anglicised spelling is a very poor substitute.
_________________
วินเชนท์ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Wanderlust
Moderator
Joined: 04 Aug 2004
Posts: 1682
Location: Hua Hin
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:34 am Post subject: Re: How to pronounce Hua Hin |
|
|
| bambergasgoigne wrote: | waa or who-a, who-a or waa - does anyone know for sure ?
I go weeks pronouncing it one way, and then on hearing someone far more knowledgeable pronounce it the other way, I meekly change around.
Is there is a definitive right or wrong.?
and I suppose while your at it,
is it pat-ee-a, or pa-tie-a
is it poo-ket or fu-ket or even fuck-ket
is it fa-rang or fa-lang
is it cap or crap (as in what the men are supposed to say)
Cheers
as you can see my Thai is really coming along !!
Bamber |
Obviously what VincentD says is right, but for those of us like me (and by the sound of it bamber) who have limited language learning abilities, here is what i think from my years in thailand and Hua Hin (underlines to indicate emphasis).
Hua is pronounced Hooa (with a rising tone at the end but not extended
Pattaya is pronounced exactly as it is spelt with neither ee not ie in the middle with the middle a said as you would reciting the alphabet, the last a said as if sticking your tongue out but very short and the whole word in a flat tone
Phuket pronounced poo-ket (more or less)
Farang as it is spelt (although some thais will pronounce it falang because of laziness from what I have been told)
And the final one I did extensive investigation of when I first arrived in LOS, and properly the male polite addition should be said Krup but the u is not said the same as in cup or pull and is probably closer to the first a in banana if that makes sense! Again though many Thais do not pronounce it 'correctly' and will drop the r completely as it is only just there anyway; a very clipped rolled r is what I was told is correct. Anyone out there, please correct me if I am wrong on any of this by the way!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Norseman
Moderator
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 2153
Location: Hua Hin
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
And I still don't understand why we spell the town Saraburi the way we do when it's pronounced Slapburi. 
How do the Thais pronounce the Hebrew name Sarah?
_________________
I intend to live forever -- so far, so good. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
klikster
Specialist
Joined: 27 Sep 2007
Posts: 186
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
"Pattaya is pronounced exactly as it is spelt with neither ee not ie in the middle with the middle a said as you would reciting the alphabet"
I disagree with your ".. middle a" sound .." .. that sounds more like the "Brit" way. The Thais say:
pat-ta-ya (all "a's" are "short vowel sound") equal stress on syllables. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
johnnyk
Guru
Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 889
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:55 am Post subject: |
|
|
Rising tone (like question intonation) on the Hin.
Pattaya is pronounced Soddum.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Chas
Professional
Joined: 25 Aug 2005
Posts: 375
Location: Cha Am
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:16 am Post subject: Thais say Hu-wa |
|
|
Thai people seem to include the "H" in Hua, at least a touch of it. It seems to be said as a two syllable word and not one.
The American announcer on one of the endless realty ads on the local English language radio very clearly says "Waa" and we make fun of it every time we hear it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Roel
Specialist
Joined: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 150
Location: Krabi
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | pat-ta-ya (all "a's" are "short vowel sound") equal stress on syllables. |
Must disagree. Lived in Pattaya several years. The Thais pronounce it with short - short - long and emphasized 'a'
Pa-ta-yaaa
_________________
We are all living in 'the good old days' of the future. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
buksida
Moderator
Joined: 31 Dec 2002
Posts: 4047
Location: south of sanity
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
WL is about right on the Hua Hin and Roel is on the mark with Pattaya IMO.
_________________
Named must your fear be before banish it you can. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
johnnyk
Guru
Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 889
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
We should remember too that Thailand has many many regional accents.
I've heard Thais pronounce HH several different ways. Local HH people sound it differently than some of the guys at the Victory Monument mini bus stand. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
STEVE G
Legend
Joined: 03 Apr 2006
Posts: 2172
Location: HUA HIN/EUROPE
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I agree with Johnnyk on the regional accents. My partner pronounces Hua Hin as it is spelt in English so I tend to do the same, but then she is from an area where Thai is not the first language; she is from North of Nong Ki and speaks a dialect closer to Khmer. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
VincentD
Professional
Joined: 22 Jun 2004
Posts: 270
Location: Bangkok
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| bambergasgoigne wrote: | waa or who-a, who-a or waa - does anyone know for sure ?
|
หัวหิน
ห(h) + ัว(oo-a, the 'oo' as in 'look' and the 'a' as in 'ah', said quickly), ห(h) + ิิน(in)
| bambergasgoigne wrote: |
and I suppose while your at it,
is it pat-ee-a, or pa-tie-a
|
พัทยา
พ(p) + ั(short 'a' as pronounced in 'part') + ท(t, as in tip) ย(y) + า(aa, as in arr) So it would sound kind of like pat'yaa
| bambergasgoigne wrote: |
is it poo-ket or fu-ket or even fuck-ket
|
ภูเก็ต
ภู(p - pig + 'hu' pronounced as the 'oo' in look) + เก็ต (g as in 'gosh!' + edt)
| bambergasgoigne wrote: |
is it fa-rang or fa-lang
|
Won't bother with slang
| bambergasgoigne wrote: |
is it cap or crap (as in what the men are supposed to say)
|
As how Wanderlust put it, the 'r' sound is correct but people do tend to drop the 'r' in an informal situation.
_________________
วินเชนท์ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Roel
Specialist
Joined: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 150
Location: Krabi
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Good observations VincentD except:
| Quote: | พัทยา
พ(p) + ั(short 'a' as pronounced in 'part') + ท(t, as in tip) ย(y) + า(aa, as in arr) So it would sound kind of like pat'yaa
|
The second syllable in Pattaya (พัทยา) consists of a single consonant only (ท) without an accompanying vowel and therefore gets an inherent "a" sound.
Source: "The Fundamentals of the Thai Language" by Stuart Campell and Chuan Shaweevongs.
(IMHO the best book on learing Thai you can get. Unfortunately not in print anymore for years although I was told there is a free version of it on the internet).
_________________
We are all living in 'the good old days' of the future. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
VincentD
Professional
Joined: 22 Jun 2004
Posts: 270
Location: Bangkok
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Roel wrote: | Good observations VincentD except:
| Quote: | พัทยา
พ(p) + ั(short 'a' as pronounced in 'part') + ท(t, as in tip) ย(y) + า(aa, as in arr) So it would sound kind of like pat'yaa
|
The second syllable in Pattaya (พัทยา) consists of a single consonant only (ท) without an accompanying vowel and therefore gets an inherent "a" sound.
|
Yes, that's what the apostrophe in the anglicised spelling is for. It is a very short 'a', if you listen to how the Thais speak; two-and-a-half syllables, really. If you add the 'a' between the double t's and the y, you get three syllables as we would read it.
It is in the same context as the comment by Norseman, the inherent 'a' between the ส(s) and the ร(r) in สระบุีรี (Saraburi) is really pronounced as S'raburi. It is a very short 'a'.
It is this inherent rule that makes it almost impossible for the Thais to pronounce words like 'stick' and 'snake'. They get sanuk (สนุก) right, though. 
We all have favourite learning books, however the best way to do this is really to do a formal course with a reputable language school. A 'talking dictionary' may broaden your scope somewhat, but be careful that with the knowledge so gained that there is no detrimental effect to your social standing. 
_________________
วินเชนท์ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
BaaBaa.
Ace
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 1225
Location: England.
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| buksida wrote: | | WL is about right on the Hua Hin and Roel is on the mark with Pattaya IMO. |
I'd agree on them.
As for Kap/Krap I'd agree spoken properly the r is clear (listen to the news or other Thai TV) but in reality most people drop it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Hua Hin Map 
