#7 of forty-four · low class
ง
ngo ngu
ง งู · snake
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 ง 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 →
Sounds like — watch the spelling
Same initial /ŋ/:
ง stands alone — no other consonant makes this initial sound, so it’s always ง. One of the easy ones to spell.
Same final /ng/ — identical at a word’s end:
ง is the only letter that closes a syllable this way.
Start at the head — the little loop — then one continuous stroke. Written between the guide lines, the body sits in the middle band.
Indic (ṅ) and native; the only letter for /ŋ/.
Practice