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Emphasized Syllable?

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanthepilot (Post 8222151)

Within the Thai language, there is only one way to pronounce a word or set of letters. Unlike english where a word can have multiple pronunciations (poe-taye-toes and poe-tah-toes).

As well, each of their vowels have 2 distinct pronunciation lengths. Best described by a 1/2 length and a double long sound. (A and O, being 2 of the vowels) ((When being misunderstood that I went to Hat Yai, I learned to use the double length vowel 'Ah' to make it Haaat Yai and it was instantly understandable.)) They also have what I call assumed vowels. You have to know a sound (that we associate with vowels) will link the 2 consonants together. These have a normal length vowel sound. That gives us 3 lenghts. 1/2, normal, and double length sounds for vowels.

Thai - ไทย - sounds like 'Tai' (no H or th sound)

Koh, in Koh Samui - เกาะ สมุย - sounds like an interupted 'KO'.
This is an instance where the 1/2 lenght vowel O is used. For the english speaker to sound it out properly, it is cut off so abruptly that the word/sylable sounds unfinnished.
The symbol used here is actually a spoken 'G' and should really be written 'Goh' (but the english would then say Go, as in Stop and Go, which is incorrect).

Pattaya - พัทยา -'Put (or pat) taie Yaah' (2 normal lenth vowels, followed by the double length final vowel)

It's nearly impossible to explain Thai sounds with English characters. I'm sure other Thai speakers will chime in. This is my interpretation for the moment.

Is there any general rule for where the emphasized syllable is for, say, a 3 or 4 syllable word, or proper noun?

When trying to get a taxi to the Manhattan hotel in Bangkok I pronounced Manhattan as I would when describing the area of New York (man HAT tin). After repeating myself a few times the driver caught onto my mispronounciation and said what sounded like "man ha TON", emphasizing the 3rd syllable. Also, the 3rd syllable was not pronounced like our word "ton", but more like "ON" w/ a "T" in front of it, if that makes sense.

To my ear, the Thai pronunciation of Pattaya comes closest to PAH-tah-yaah, with the 1st syllable regular length and emphasized, the second so short it almosts sounds like an aspirated "t" (hence the occasional spelling as Patthaya), and the third syllable elongated. Many foreigners seem to pronounce it puh-TAI-uh, including some of the english language announcers on the Pattaya news channels, but I can't recall ever hearing a Thai pronounce it that way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rampo (Post 8224053)

I agree 100%, definitely sounds better with the shortshort middle syllable.

You can hear the pronunciation of "Pattaya" here. (Requires Flash.) And "Ko" as well, as in "Ko Chang."

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpatokal (Post 8167700)

They don't. Thais aspirate the sound, pronouncing it with a puff of air that you hear as an "H". It's entirely different from the rather unusual dental fricatives spelled "th" in English.

It's the aspiration that can change the consonant to what is best described by Th. In Indian alphabets, the origin of Thai alphabets unaspirated and aspirated consonants alternante such as k, kh; g,gh (westernes cannot make that sound without training), b, bh;t,th etc.