Learn Thai
Learn the patterns behind the numbers, then put them to work with café prices, shopping and everyday listening.
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Numbers are one of the most useful early listening skills in Thai. You can ask “How much?” with a single phrase, but understanding the reply takes practice. Fortunately, the numbers from 1 to 100 follow patterns you can reuse.
The pronunciation notes here are approximate and do not mark all tones or vowel lengths. Listen to each number as you learn it. Our Thai tones guide explains why the written English approximation is only a starting point.
| Number | Thai word | Approximate sound | Thai numeral |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ศูนย์ | suun | ๐ |
| 1 | หนึ่ง | nueng | ๑ |
| 2 | สอง | song | ๒ |
| 3 | สาม | saam | ๓ |
| 4 | สี่ | sii | ๔ |
| 5 | ห้า | haa | ๕ |
| 6 | หก | hok | ๖ |
| 7 | เจ็ด | jet | ๗ |
| 8 | แปด | paet | ๘ |
| 9 | เก้า | kao | ๙ |
| 10 | สิบ | sip | ๑๐ |
Arabic numerals such as 1, 2 and 3 are widely used in Thailand. Thai numerals also appear in some signs, documents and cultural settings. Learn to say the numbers first, then practise recognising both written forms.
For 12 to 19, combine สิบ (sip) with the unit: 12 is สิบสอง (sip song) and 18 is สิบแปด (sip paet).
Eleven uses a different form of one: สิบเอ็ด (sip et). You will hear เอ็ด (et) at the end of 21, 31 and other numbers in this range that end in one. Keep 1 on its own, หนึ่ง (nueng), separate from this pattern.
Try saying 11, 12, 15 and 19 in a random order. Counting forward is useful at first, but everyday prices rarely arrive in sequence.
Twenty is ยี่สิบ (yii sip). From 30 onwards, the tens in this range use the number followed by สิบ:
For 25, combine ยี่สิบ and ห้า: ยี่สิบห้า. For 41, combine สี่สิบ and เอ็ด: สี่สิบเอ็ด. Once these two exceptions feel familiar, the rest of the range becomes much easier to build.
The currency word is บาท (baht). A price of 35 baht is สามสิบห้าบาท. These are language examples, not current price estimates for particular products.
Write a few imaginary prices on cards and practise both roles: one person asks เท่าไร and the other answers. Change the order and include numbers that are easy to confuse. Then listen again without looking at the cards.
In a shop, it is fine to confirm a price by showing the number on a calculator or screen. Accuracy matters more than pretending you understood.
Spend a few minutes with these exercises:
Telephone numbers are normally spoken digit by digit, while prices are usually grouped as a number. Learn those tasks separately. Time expressions have their own conventions, so do not assume that knowing a number automatically tells you how to say the time.
Put your new numbers into a café exchange with our guide to ordering coffee in Thai, or practise listening to prices in a trial lesson.
In this counting pattern, the final one is เอ็ด (et), so 21 is ยี่สิบเอ็ด (yii sip et). One on its own is หนึ่ง (nueng).
Arabic numerals are common on menus and price labels. Recognising Thai numerals is useful too, but listening to the spoken numbers is the most immediate skill for a price conversation.
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