#30 of forty-four · low class
พ
pho phan
พ พาน · tray
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 พ 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: Neither has the extra ascender of ฝ/ฟ. พ has a small pointed kink at the top of its first stroke where ผ rises smoothly.พ is /pʰ/ low · ผ is /pʰ/ high.
The tell: ฟ is พ with the tall ascender (the tuft) added above the body; พ has no ascender.พ is /pʰ/ low · ฟ is /f/ low.
Sounds like — watch the spelling
Same initial /pʰ/:
Same final /p/ — identical at a word’s end:
Stroke-order animation isn’t available for this letter yet. Nearly every Thai letter begins at its head — the little loop — then one continuous stroke.
Indic — Sanskrit voiced b; common.