Thai word
เล็ก
lék
小
How to pronounce เล็ก
High tone
High and flat, slightly falling at the end
เล็ก is written lék and carries the high tone. Listen first, then copy the pitch — in Thai the pitch belongs to the word the way a vowel does.
Same syllable, five tones
Thai uses pitch to tell words apart. Below is the same syllable on each of the five tones — nothing changes but the pitch. Say your word (highlighted) on one of the other four and a Thai listener hears a different word, or none at all.
-
lek
Mid tone
-
lèk
Low tone
-
lêk
Falling tone
-
lěk
Rising tone
- เล็ก
lék
High tone
What does เล็ก mean?
Translation
小
เล็ก (lék) means "小" in Thai.
Example sentences
บ้านอยู่ในซอยเล็กๆ แต่ใกล้ถนนใหญ่ครับ
Bâan yùu nai sooý lék-lék dtɛ̀ɛ glâi tà-nǒn yài kráp
房子在一条小巷子里，但离主干道很近。
Test yourself
One word from the same tone group. Its meaning is not on this page — see whether it stuck.
What does this word mean?
ใช้
chái
Related words
More words with the high tone — the same pitch shape, different words.
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