The vowels เ- and แ- when used with a final consonant can be shortened by placing the symbol ( -็) MYDTYKOO (ไม้ไต่คู้) over the initial consonant.

There are a number of common words where this device is used with the vowel เ- which is then pronounced short like “e” in “Hen”.

	เป็น	PEN	Is
	เล็ก	LEK	Small

In the case of the vowel แ- the difference between the normal and shortened forms is something like the difference between the “a” sounds in the words “Land” and “Latin”.

About the only word you are likely to meet where the vowel แ- is shortened in this way is

แข็ง

KAANG

Hard

and no attempt has been made to distinguish in the transliteration between the two sounds.

The symbol MYDTYKOO is never used if there is a tone mark over the initial consonant, but if there is a tone mark this itself very often has the effect of shortening the vowel as follows.

The vowel เ- is usually pronounced short if there is any tone mark over the initial consonant as in;

	เก่ง	GENG	Skilful.	Pronounced as though written with -็
	เล่น	LEN	To play.	”
	เส้น	SEN	A thread.	”
	เว้น	WEN	Except.	”

The vowel แ- is usually pronounced short when there is a MYAYK (ไม้เอก) (-่) over the initial consonant but not with other tone marks.

We may mention here the word ก็ which as you will see in Lesson 24 is a connective particle which may have many meanings or no meaning at all and is generally untranslatable.

The significance of the MYDTYKOO in this case appears to be to shorten the “OR” sound always vocalized with a single consonant standing alone.

Generated by Lyndon Hill on Thu Jul 20 18:40:31 BST 2006.

Copyright remains with the original authors.