View source for Southern Thai language

{{Short description|Southwestern Tai language}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Southern Thai
| nativename       = {{lang|sou|ภาษาไทยถิ่นใต้}}
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|/pʰaː.sǎː tʰaj tʰìn tâːj/}}
| states           = [[Southern Thailand]], [[Kedah]], [[Kelantan]] and [[Tanintharyi Region]]
| ethnicity        = [[Thai people|Southern Thai]]<br>[[Peranakans]]<br>[[Malaysian Siamese]]<br>[[Thai Malays]]
| script           = [[Thai alphabet|Thai script]]<br />[[Thai and Lao Braille|Thai Braille]]
| region           = 
| speakers         = 4.5 million
| date             = 2006
| ref              = e18
| familycolor      = Tai-Kadai
| fam2             = [[Tai languages|Tai]]
| fam3             = [[Southwestern Tai languages|Southwestern Tai]]
| fam4             = Chiang Saen
| fam5             = Sukhothai
| iso3             = sou
| glotto           = sout2746
| minority         = [[Thailand]]
| agency           = None
| glottorefname    = Southern Thai
| notice           = IPA
| map              = Southern Thai.jpg
| mapcaption       = 
}}

'''Southern Thai''' ({{lang|sou|ภาษาไทยถิ่นใต้}} {{IPA|th|pʰaːsǎː tʰaj tʰìn tâːj|}}), also known as  '''Dambro''' ({{lang|sou|ภาษาตามโพร}} {{IPA|th|pʰaːsǎː taːm pʰroː|}}), '''Pak Tai''' ({{lang|sou|ภาษาปักษ์ใต้}} {{IPA|th|pʰaːsǎː pàk tâːj|}}), or '''"Southern language"''' ({{lang|sou|ภาษาใต้}} {{IPA|th|pʰaːsǎː tâːj|}}),{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}} is a [[Southwestern Tai languages|Southwestern Tai]] [[Ethnolinguistics|ethnolinguistic]] identity<ref name="CERD/C/THA/1-3">{{cite book|title=International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; landforms a growing larger by the second Reports submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention: Thailand|date=28 July 2011|publisher=United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination|url=http://www.rlpd.go.th/rlpdnew/images/rlpd_1/HRC/CERD%201_3.pdf|access-date=8 October 2016|language=en, th}}</ref> and language spoken in [[southern Thailand]], as well as by small communities in the northernmost states of [[Malaysia]]. It is spoken by roughly five million people and as a second language by the 1.5 million speakers of [[Kelantan-Pattani Malay|Pattani]] and other ethnic groups such as the local [[Peranakan]] communities, [[Negritos]] and other tribal groups.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} Most speakers are also fluent in or understand the [[Thai language|Central Thai dialects]].

== Classification ==
{{Further|Tai–Kadai languages|Tai languages|Tai peoples}}
Southern Thai is classified as one of the Chiang Saen languages, the others being [[Thai language|Thai]], [[Northern Thai language|Northern Thai]] and numerous smaller languages. They, together with the Northwestern Tai and the Lao-Phutai languages, form the [[Southwestern Tai languages|Southwestern]] branch of the [[Tai languages]]. The Tai languages are a branch of the [[Kra–Dai languages|Kra–Dai language family]], which encompasses a large number of indigenous languages that are spoken in an arc from [[Hainan]] and [[Guangxi]] south through [[Laos]] and northern [[Vietnam]] to the [[Cambodia]] border.

{{tree list}}
* [[Kra-Dai languages|Kra-Dai]]
** [[Hlai languages]]
** [[Kam-Sui languages]]
** [[Kra languages]]
** [[Be language]]
** [[Tai languages]]
*** [[Northern Tai languages]]
*** [[Central Tai languages]]
*** [[Southwestern Tai languages]]
**** Northwestern Tai languages
***** [[Khamti language]]
***** [[Tai Lue language]]
***** [[Shan language]]
***** others
**** Chiang Saen languages
***** [[Northern Thai language]]
***** Sukhothai language
****** [[Thai language]]
****** '''Southern Thai language'''
**** Lao-Phuthai languages
***** [[Phu Thai language|Phuthai language]]
***** [[Lao language]] ([[Isan language]])
{{tree list/end}}

==Dialects==
Phonyarit (2018)<ref>Phonyarit, Ratchadaporn (2018). ''Tonal Geography of the Southern Thai Dialects''. Paper presented at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society, held May 17–19, 2018 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.</ref> recognizes the following nine main dialects of Southern Thai, based on tone split and merger patterns.

=== Southern Thai (Eastern) ===
* Nakhonsithammarat dialect (Standard), spoken in the upper part of [[Nakhon Si Thammarat Province]] and eastern part of [[Surat Thani Province]]
* Thungsong dialect, spoken in the lower part of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and surrounding provinces such as [[Phatthalung Province|Phatthalung]]
* Songkhla dialect, spoken in [[Songkhla Province|Songkhla]] and surrounding provinces, except in [[Hat Yai district]], where Krungthep dialect with southern loanwords is spoken
* Syburi dialect, spoken in [[Kedah|Syburi (Kedah)]], [[Perlis|Palis]] and [[Satun Province]]

=== Southern Thai (Western) ===
* Chaiya dialect, spoken in the most part of [[Surat Thani Province]] and [[Ranong Province]], classified as a dialect of the [[Peranakans]] except in [[Mueang Surat Thani district|Bandon district]], where the Krungthep dialect is spoken with southern loanwords.
* Chumphon dialect, spoken in [[Chumphon Province]] and the southern part of [[Prachuap Khiri Khan Province]]s
* Phuket dialect, spoken by [[Peranakans]] in [[Phuket Province]], [[Krabi Province]], [[Trang Province]] and [[Phang Nga Province]]s
* Samui dialect, spoken in [[Ko Samui|Samui District]] and [[Ko Pha-ngan|Pha-ngan District]]

=== Takbai dialect ===
* Takbai dialect, spoken by the [[Thai people|Siamese minority]] in [[Pattani Province|Pattani]]

==Distribution==
In Thailand, speakers of Southern Thai can be found in a contiguous region beginning as far north as southern part of [[Prachuap Khiri Khan Province]] and extending southward to the border with [[Malaysia]]. Smaller numbers of speakers reside in the Malaysian border states, especially [[Kedah]], [[Kelantan]], [[Penang]], [[Perlis]], and [[Perak]]. In those areas, it is the primary language of ethnic Thais and of the ethnically Malay people on both sides of the Thai-Malaysian border in Satun and Songkhla provinces.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Phonyarit |first=Ratchadaporn |date=2025-08-27 |title=Tonal Geography of the Southern Thai Dialects |url=https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/c57a1305-8822-41b4-96d7-046642ec9b04/content |journal=Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society |volume=18 |issue=2 |via=eVols}}</ref>

Although numerous regional variations exist, and there is no standard, the language is most distinct near the Malaysian border. All varieties, however, remain mutually intelligible. For economic reasons, many speakers of Southern Thai have migrated to Bangkok and other Thai cities. Some have also emigrated to Malaysia, which offers economic opportunity but also a culture that shares [[Islam]], which is practiced by some speakers of Southern Thai.

==History==
Malay kingdoms ruled much of the [[Malay Peninsula]],{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} such as the [[Pattani Kingdom]] and [[Tambralinga]], but most of the area, at one time or another, was under the rule of [[Srivijaya]]. The population of the Malay Peninsula was heavily influenced by the [[culture of India]] that was transmitted through missionaries or indirectly through traders. Numerous Buddhist and Hindu shrines attest to the diffusion of Indian culture. The power vacuum left by the collapse of [[Srivijaya]] was filled by the growth of the [[Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom]], which subsequently became a vassal of the [[Sukhothai Kingdom]]. The area has been a frontier between the northern [[Tai peoples]] and the southern [[ethnic Malays]] as well as between [[Buddhism]] and [[Islam]].

==Phonology==
===Tones===
The majority of speakers using Southern Thai varieties display five phonemic tones ([[tonemes]]) in citation monosyllables although effects of [[tone sandhi|sandhi]] can result in a substantially higher number of tonal [[allophones]]. This is true for dialects north of approximately 10° N and south of 7° N [[latitude]], as well as urban [[sociolects]] throughout Southern Thailand. In between, there are dialects with six- and seven-tone systems. The dialect of [[Nakhon Si Thammarat Province]] (approximately centered on 8° N latitude), for example, has seven phonemic tones.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Diller |first1=Anthony |editor1-last=Nguyen |editor1-first=Dang Liem |title=How Many Tones For Southern Thai? |journal=South-east Asian Linguistic Studies |date=1979 |volume=4 |page=122 |publisher=Pacific Linguistics, the Australian National University}}</ref>

====Initials====
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!colspan=2|
![[Labial consonant|Labial]]
![[Dental consonant|Dental]]/ <br> [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
!([[Alveolo-palatal consonant|Alveolo-]]) <br> [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
!colspan=2|[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|style=background-color:#ccf|{{IPAslink|m}}<br>ม
|style=background-color:#cfc|{{IPAslink|n}}<br>ณ, น
|style=background-color:#fcf|{{IPAslink|ɲ}}<br>ญ{{efn|In some dialects.}}
|
|
|-
!rowspan=3|[[Plosive]]/<br>[[Affricate]]
!<small>[[tenuis consonant|tenuis]]</small>
|style=background-color:#ccf|{{IPAslink|p}}<br>ป
|style=background-color:#cfc|{{IPAslink|t}}<br>ฏ, ต
|style=background-color:#fcf|{{IPAslink|tɕ}}<br>จ
|style=background-color:#fcc|{{IPAslink|k}}<br>ก
|style=background-color:#ccc|{{IPAslink|ʔ}}<br>อ{{efn|Implied before any vowel without an initial and after a short vowel without a final.}}
|-
!<small>[[aspiration (phonetics)|aspirate]]</small>
|style=background-color:#ccf|{{IPAslink|pʰ}}<br>ผ, พ, ภ
|style=background-color:#cfc|{{IPAslink|tʰ}}<br>ฐ, ฑ, ฒ, ถ, ท, ธ
|style=background-color:#fcf|{{IPAslink|tɕʰ}}<br>ฉ, ช, ฌ
|style=background-color:#fcc|{{IPAslink|kʰ}}<br>ข, ฃ, ค, ฅ, ฆ{{efn|ฃ and ฅ are no longer used. Thus, modern Thai is said to have 42 consonant letters.}}
|
|-
!<small>[[voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
|style=background-color:#ccf|{{IPAslink|b}}<br>บ
|style=background-color:#cfc|{{IPAslink|d}}<br>ฎ, ด
|
|
|
|-
!colspan=2|[[Fricative]]
|style=background-color:#ccf|{{IPAslink|f}}<br>ฝ, ฟ
|style=background-color:#ffc|{{IPAslink|s}}<br>ซ, ศ, ษ, ส
|
|
|style=background-color:#ccc|{{IPAslink|h}}<br>ง, ห, ฮ
|-
!colspan=2|[[Approximant]]
|style=background-color:#cff|{{IPAslink|w}}<br>ว
|style=background-color:#cff|{{IPAslink|l}}<br>ล, ฬ
|style=background-color:#cff|{{IPAslink|j}}<br>ญ, ย
|
|
|-
!colspan=2|[[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]/[[Liquid consonant|Liquid]]
|
|style=background-color:#cff|{{IPAslink|r}}<br>ร
|
|
|
|}
{{notelist}}

====Clusters====
In Southern Thai, each syllable in a word is considered separate from the others and so combinations of consonants from adjacent syllables are never recognised as clusters. Southern Thai has [[Phonotactics|phonotactical constraints]] that define the permissible syllable structure, [[consonant clusters]] and vowel sequences. The original Thai vocabulary introduces only 11 combined consonantal patterns:
* {{IPA|/kr/}} (กร), {{IPA|/kl/}} (กล), {{IPA|/kw/}} (กว)
* {{IPA|/kʰr/}} (ขร, คร), {{IPA|/kʰl/}} (ขล, คล), {{IPA|/kʰw/}} (ขว, คว)
* {{IPA|/pr/}} (ปร), {{IPA|/pl/}} (ปล)
* {{IPA|/pʰr/}} (พร), {{IPA|/pʰl/}} (ผล, พล)
* {{IPA|/tr/}} (ตร)

====Finals====
All [[plosive consonant|plosive sounds]] (besides the [[glottal stop]] /ʔ/) are [[unreleased stop|unreleased]]. Hence, final {{IPA|/p/}}, {{IPA|/t/}}, and {{IPA|/k/}} sounds are pronounced as {{IPA|[p̚]}}, {{IPA|[t̚]}}, and {{IPA|[k̚]}} respectively. Of the consonant letters, excluding the disused ฃ and ฅ, six (ฉ ผ ฝ ห อ ฮ) cannot be used as a final, and the other 36 are grouped as follows:
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center
!
![[Labial consonant|Labial]]
![[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
![[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|style=background:#ccf|{{IPAslink|m}}<br>ม
|style=background:#cfc|{{IPAslink|n}}<br>ญ, ณ, น, ร, ล, ฬ
|
|style=background:#fcc|{{IPAslink|ŋ}}<br>ง
|
|-
![[Plosive]]
|style=background:#ccf|{{IPAslink|p}}<br>บ, ป, พ, ฟ, ภ
|style=background:#cfc|{{IPAslink|t}}<br>จ, ช, ซ, ฌ, ฎ, ฏ, ฐ, ฑ,
ฒ ,ด, ต, ถ, ท, ธ, ศ, ษ, ส
|
|style=background:#fcc|{{IPAslink|k}}<br>ก, ข, ค, ฆ
|style=background:#ccc|{{IPAslink|ʔ}}{{efn|The glottal stop appears at the end when no final follows a short vowel.}}
|-
![[Approximant]]
|style=background:#cff|{{IPAslink|w}}<br>ว
|
|style=background:#cff|{{IPAslink|j}}<br>ย
|
|
|}
{{notelist}}

===Vowels===
The vowels of Southern Thai are similar to those of [[Thai language|Central Thai]] and, from front to back and close to open, are given in the following table. The top entry in every cell is the symbol from the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]], the second entry gives the spelling in the [[Thai alphabet]], where a dash (–) indicates the position of the initial consonant after which the vowel is pronounced. A second dash indicates that a final consonant must follow.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2" | &nbsp;
!colspan=2|[[Front vowel|Front]]
!colspan=2|[[Central vowel|Central]]
!colspan=2|[[Back vowel|Back]]
|- class=small
! short || long ||short || long ||short || long
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPAslink|i}}<br>&nbsp;-ิ&nbsp;<!-- the &nbsp; is necessary for visibility under Opera -->
|{{IPAslink|iː}}<br>&nbsp;-ี&nbsp;
|{{IPAslink|ɯ}}<br>&nbsp;-ึ&nbsp;
|{{IPAslink|ɯː}}<br>&nbsp;-ื-&nbsp;
|{{IPAslink|u}}<br>&nbsp;-ุ&nbsp;
|{{IPAslink|uː}}<br>&nbsp;-ู&nbsp;
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPAslink|e}}<br>เ-ะ
|{{IPAslink|eː}}<br>เ-
|{{IPAslink|ɤ}}<br>เ-อะ
|{{IPAslink|ɤː}}<br>เ-อ
|{{IPAslink|o}}<br>โ-ะ
|{{IPAslink|oː}}<br>โ-
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|{{IPAslink|ɛ}}<br>แ-ะ
|{{IPAslink|ɛː}}<br>แ-
|{{IPAslink|ä|a}}<br>-ะ, -ั-
|{{IPAslink|ä|aː}}<br>-า
|{{IPAslink|ɔ}}<br>เ-าะ
|{{IPAslink|ɔː}}<br>-อ
|}

The vowels each exist in [[vowel length|long-short pairs]]: these are distinct [[phoneme]]s forming unrelated words in Southern Thai, but usually transliterated the same: เขา /khaw/ means "he/she", while ขาว /khaːw/ means "white".

The long-short pairs are as follows:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="5"|Long
!colspan="5"|Short
|-
!Thai!!IPA!!colspan=3|Example
!Thai!!IPA!!colspan=3|Example
|-
|–า || {{IPA|/aː/}} || ฝาน || {{IPA|/faːn/}} || 'to slice'
|–ะ || {{IPA|/a/}} || ฝัน || {{IPA|/fan/}} || 'to dream'
|-
|–ี&nbsp; || {{IPA|/iː/}} || || ||
|–ิ&nbsp; || {{IPA|/i/}} || || ||
|-
|–ู&nbsp; || {{IPA|/uː/}} || || ||
|–ุ&nbsp; || {{IPA|/u/}} || หนุน || {{IPA|/nun/}} || 'jackfruit'
|-
|เ– || {{IPA|/eː/}} || เล || {{IPA|/leː/}} || 'sea'
|เ–ะ || {{IPA|/e/}} || || ||
|-
|แ–|| {{IPA|/ɛː/}} || แขบ || {{IPA|/kʰɛːp/}} || 'hurry'
|แ–ะ|| {{IPA|/ɛ/}} || แหยะ || {{IPA|/jɛʔ/}} || 'leftover'
|-
|–ื-&nbsp;|| {{IPA|/ɯː/}} || คืน || {{IPA|/kʰɯːn/}} || 'to return' 
|–ึ&nbsp; || {{IPA|/ɯ/}} || || ||
|-
|เ–อ || {{IPA|/ɤː/}} || || ||
|เ–อะ || {{IPA|/ɤ/}} || เงิน || {{IPA|/hɤn/}}|| 'money'
|-
|โ– || {{IPA|/oː/}} || โหนด || {{IPA|/noːt/}} || 'palmyra palm'
|โ–ะ || {{IPA|/o/}} || จก || {{IPA|/tɕok/}} ||  'mirror, glass'
|-
|–อ || {{IPA|/ɔː/}} || || ||
|เ–าะ || {{IPA|/ɔ/}} || || ||
|}

The basic vowels can be combined into [[diphthong]]s.  For purposes of determining tone, those marked with an asterisk are sometimes classified as long:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="2"|Long
!colspan="2"|Short
|-
!Thai script
!IPA
!Thai script
!IPA
|-
|–าย
|{{IPA|/aːj/}}
|ไ–<sup>*</sup>, ใ–<sup>*</sup>, ไ–ย, -ัย
|{{IPA|/aj/}}
|-
|–าว
|{{IPA|/aːw/}}
|เ–า<sup>*</sup>
|{{IPA|/aw/}}
|-
|เ–ีย
|{{IPA|/ia/}}
|เ–ียะ
|{{IPA|/iaʔ/}}
|-
|–
|–
|–ิว
|{{IPA|/iw/}}
|-
|–ัว
|{{IPA|/ua/}}
|–ัวะ
|{{IPA|/uaʔ/}}
|-
|–ูย
|{{IPA|/uːj/}}
|–ุย
|{{IPA|/uj/}}
|-
|เ–ว
|{{IPA|/eːw/}}
|เ–็ว
|{{IPA|/ew/}}
|-
|แ–ว
|{{IPA|/ɛːw/}}
|–
|–
|-
|เ–ือ
|{{IPA|/ɯa/}}
|เ–ือะ
|{{IPA|/ɯaʔ/}}
|-
|เ–ย
|{{IPA|/ɤːj/}}
|–
|–
|-
|–อย
|{{IPA|/ɔːj/}}
|–
|–
|-
|โ–ย
|{{IPA|/oːj/}}
|–
|–
|}

Additionally, there are three [[triphthongs]]. For purposes of determining tone, those marked with an asterisk are sometimes classified as long:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Thai script
!IPA
|-
|เ–ียว*
|{{IPA|/iaw/}}
|-
|–วย*
|{{IPA|/uaj/}}
|-
|เ–ือย*
|{{IPA|/ɯaj/}}
|}

==Differences from Central Thai==
Of the major regional languages of Thailand, Southern Thai is the most similar to Central Thai in terms of its lexicon and grammar. However, the two languages are sufficiently different that mutual intelligibility can be problematic. Southern Thai is a diglossic language, with registers ranging from the most formal (Standard Central Thai with Southern Thai tones and accent) to the common vernacular (a contracted form of Thai expressions with some loan words from Malay). The Thai language was introduced during incursions by the Siamese into the Malay Peninsula, possibly starting as early as the Sukhothai Kingdom. During this period and those of successive kingdoms, the area in which Southern Thai is spoken was a frontier zone between Thai polities and Malay sultanates. A considerable number of Malay speakers lived in or near the Patani polity, interacting with Thai speakers through trade, and the Malay language was formerly considered a lingua franca in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula.

Although the Thai alphabet is often used when Southern Thai is written in informal situations, it is mainly a spoken language.

The words used that are etymologically Thai are often spoken in a reduced and rapid manner, making comprehension by speakers of other varieties difficult. Also, as Southern Thai uses up to seven tones in certain provinces, the tonal distribution is different from other regional varieties of Thai. Additionally, Southern Thai speakers almost always preserve ร as /r/ in contrast to [[Northern Thai language|Northern Thai]], the Lao-based [[Isan language]], and informal [[Register (phonology)|registers]] of Central Thai where it is generally realized as /l/.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Differences between Southern Thai and Central Thai
! Dambro
! Siam
! English
|-
|{{lang|sou|หร่อย}}<br>{{IPA|[rɔj]}}
|อร่อย<br>{{IPA|[ʔa.rɔ̀j]}}
|delicious
|-
|{{lang|sou|ม่าย}}<br>{{IPA|[maːj]}}
|ไหม<br>{{IPA|[mǎj]}}
|question particle
|-
|{{lang|sou|แหลง}}<br>{{IPA|[lɛːŋ]}}
|พูด<br>{{IPA|[pʰûːt]}}
|to speak
|-
|{{lang|sou|จังหู้}}<br>{{IPA|[tɕaŋ huː]}}
|มาก<br>{{IPA|[mâːk]}}
|a lot
|-
|ดีปรี<br>{{IPA|[diː.priː]}}
|พริก<br>{{IPA|[pʰrík]}}
|chilli
|-
|{{lang|sou|หลุหละ}}<br>{{IPA|[lu.laʔ]}}
|สกปรก<br>{{IPA|[sòk ka.pròk]}}
|dirty
|-
|{{lang|sou|หยีบ}}<br>{{IPA|[jiːp]}}
|ยี่สิบ<br>{{IPA|[jîː sìp]}}
|twenty
|-
|{{lang|sou|บาย}}<br>{{IPA|[baːj]}}
|สบาย<br>{{IPA|[sa.bāːj]}}
|to be well
|-
|{{lang|sou|ยานัด}}<br>{{IPA|[jaː nat]}}
|สับปะรด<br>{{IPA|[sàp pa.rót]}}
|pineapple
|-
|{{lang|sou|นากา}}<br>{{IPA|[naː kaː]}}
|นาฬิกา<br>{{IPA|[nāː lí.kāː]}}
|clock
|-
|{{lang|sou|ขี้มัน}}<br>{{IPA|[kʰiː man]}}
|ขี้เหนียว<br>{{IPA|[kʰîː nǐaw]}}
|stingy
|-
|{{lang|sou|พรือ}}<br>{{IPA|[pʰrɯː]}}
|อะไร<br>{{IPA|[ʔa.rāj]}}
|what?
|-
|{{lang|sou|ยัง}}<br>{{IPA|[jaŋ]}}
|มี<br>{{IPA|[mīː]}}
|to have
|-
|{{lang|sou|แค}}<br>{{IPA|[kʰɛː]}}
|ใกล้<br>{{IPA|[klâj]}}
|near
|-
|{{lang|sou|พี่บ่าว}}<br>{{IPA|[pʰiː baːw]}}
|พี่ชาย<br>{{IPA|[pʰîː tɕʰāːj]}}
|older brother
|-
|{{lang|sou|เกือก}}<br>{{IPA|[kɯak]}}
|รองเท้า<br>{{IPA|[rɔːŋ tʰáːw]}}
|shoe
|-
|{{lang|sou|ตอเช้า}}<br>{{IPA|[tɔː tɕʰaːw]}}
|พรุ่งนี้<br>{{IPA|[pʰrûŋ níː]}}
|tomorrow
|-
|{{lang|sou|พร้าว}}<br>{{IPA|[pʰraːw]}}
|มะพร้าว<br>{{IPA|[ma.pʰráːw]}}
|coconut
|-
|{{lang|sou|หลาด}}<br>{{IPA|[laːt]}}
|ตลาด<br>{{IPA|[ta.làːt]}}
|market
|-
|{{lang|sou|ตู}}<br>{{IPA|[tuː]}}
|ประตู<br>{{IPA|[pra.tūː]}}
|door
|-
|{{lang|sou|แล}}<br>{{IPA|[lɛː]}}
|ดู<br>{{IPA|[duː]}}
|to see
|-
|{{lang|sou|นายหัว}}<br>{{IPA|[naːj hua]}}
|หัวหน้า<br>{{IPA|[hǔa.nâː]}}
|boss
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* Bradley, David. (1992). "Southwestern Dai as a lingua franca." ''Atlas of Languages of Intercultural Communication in the Pacific, Asia, and the Americas.'' Vol. II.I:13, pp.&nbsp;780–781.
* Levinson, David. ''Ethnic Groups Worldwide: A Ready Reference Handbook.'' Greenwood Publishing Group. ISPN: 1573560197.
* Miyaoka, Osahito. (2007). ''The Vanishing Languages of the Pacific Rim.'' Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-926662-X}}.
* Taher, Mohamed. (1998). ''Encyclopaedic Survey of Islamic Culture.'' Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. {{ISBN|81-261-0403-1}}.
* Yegar, Moshe. ''Between Integration and Secession: The Muslim Communities of the Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand, and Western Burma/Myanmar.'' Lexington Books. {{ISBN|0-7391-0356-3}}.
* Diller, A. Van Nostrand. (1976). ''Toward a Model of Southern Thai Diglossic Speech Variation.'' Cornell University Publishers.
* Li, Fang Kuei. (1977). ''A Handbook of Comparative Tai.'' University of Hawaii Press. {{ISBN|0-8248-0540-2}}.

==External links==
{{Tai-Kadai languages}}
{{Languages of Thailand}}
{{Languages of Malaysia}}

[[Category:Southwestern Tai languages]]
[[Category:Subject–verb–object languages]]
[[Category:Isolating languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Thailand]]
[[Category:Languages of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Languages of Myanmar]]
[[Category:Malay Peninsula]]
[[Category:Peninsular Malaysia]]
[[Category:Southern Thailand]]