#10 of forty-four · low class
ช
cho chang
ช ช้าง · elephant
Low class อักษรต่ำ
Low class is the shifted class — the same mark lands a different tone than on mid or high.
A consonant’s class exists for one reason: it decides the tone. Low class is the shifted class — the same mark lands a different tone than on mid or high. Here’s every outcome for ช as the initial:
| Syllable | – No mark | ◌่ mái èek | ◌้ mái thoo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liveopen or sonorant end | mid | falling | high |
| Dead · longlong vowel + stop | falling | falling | high |
| Dead · shortshort vowel + stop | high | falling | high |
Live syllable — open or sonorant end
Dead · long syllable — long vowel + stop
Dead · short syllable — short vowel + stop
Change the initial to another class and the same marks produce different tones — that shift is what makes tone a small system, not 44 separate facts. Derive tones on the Tones surface →
Looks like — watch the shape
The tell: ข has a small head-loop at the top-left; ช drops the loop and rises to a sharper point.ช is /tɕʰ/ low · ข is /kʰ/ high.
Sounds like — watch the spelling
Same initial /tɕʰ/:
Same final /t/ — identical at a word’s end:
Start at the head — the little loop — then one continuous stroke. Written between the guide lines, the body sits in the middle band.
Indic — Sanskrit voiced j; common.
Practice