#20 of forty-four · mid class
ด
do dek
ด เด็ก · child
Mid class อักษรกลาง
Mid class is tonally neutral — every tone mark maps to exactly one tone.
A consonant’s class exists for one reason: it decides the tone. Mid class is tonally neutral — every tone mark maps to exactly one tone. Here’s every outcome for ด as the initial:
| Syllable | – No mark | ◌่ mái èek | ◌้ mái thoo | ◌๊ mái trii | ◌๋ chattawa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liveopen or sonorant end | mid | low | falling | high | rising |
| Deadstop end or short vowel | low | low | falling | — | — |
Live syllable — open or sonorant end
Dead syllable — stop end or short vowel
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: ต has a small notch — a tooth — at the top where ด is smoothly rounded. The saying: ต has a tooth, ด is smooth.ด is /d/ mid · ต is /t/ mid.
The tell: ด has a clean rounded head-loop and a smooth body; ค has a wavier top and a taller, more angular right side.ด is /d/ mid · ค is /kʰ/ low.
Sounds like — watch the spelling
Same initial /d/:
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.
Native Thai /d/ — no Sanskrit equivalent; everyday words.
Practice