The symbol (-์) MYTUNTAKAHT (ไม้ทัณฑฆาต) or GAHRUN (การันต์) placed over a final consonant silences whatever is below it.

The use of this symbol is mainly confined to words of foreign origin and its application is rather varied. Generally it merely cancels the consonant over which it is placed.

	พิมพ์	PIM	To print
	อาจารย์	AHJAHN	Professor, Teacher
	สัตว์	SUT	Animal

but sometimes it cancels the last two consonants or a consonant and a vowel.

	พระจันทร์	PRAJUN	The moon
	บริสุทธิ์	BORISOOT	Pure

There are also a few words in which the final consonant or vowel and occasionally even a non final consonant is silent although not marked in any way.

	จักร	JUK	Machine
	ญาติ	YAHT	Relative
	สามารถ	SAHMAHT	Able to

See also Lesson 7.B.3.

When transliterating a foreign word into Thai a final consonant and occasionally an intermediate one which, though pronounced in the original language, cannot be pronounced in Thai without altering the sound of the word considerably, is usually but not always marked with MYTUNTAKAHT.

	จโนส์	Jones pronounced	JON in Thai
	คิงส์	King’s ”	KING in Thai
	ปอนด์	Pound ”	PORN in Thai

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

Copyright remains with the original authors.