Thai word
แรก
râek
第一
How to pronounce แรก
Falling tone
Starts high, falls quickly to low
แรก is written râek and carries the falling 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.
-
raek
Mid tone
-
ràek
Low tone
- แรก
râek
Falling tone
-
rǎek
Rising tone
-
ráek
High tone
What does แรก mean?
Translation
第一
แรก (râek) means "第一" in Thai.
Example sentences
ทีแรกฉันไม่อยากไป แต่ตอนหลังก็เปลี่ยนใจ
tii râaek chǎn mâi yàak bpai, dtàae dtorn-lǎng gôr bplìan-jai
一开始我不想去，但后来我改变主意了。
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?
ห้า
hâa
Related words
More words with the falling tone — the same pitch shape, different words.
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