Getting the tones and vowel sounds right in Thai can be difficult, not just or foreigners, but for Thai kids too.  My friend took her 4 year old nephew shopping, together with her room mate who is caled Muoi (which means a young woman with a Chinese looking face). The kid should refer to her as a Muoi (auntie Muoi). However, if you get the tone wrong,apparently it means pubic hair.So this little kid was running round the supermarket shouting "Auntie pubes, auntie pubes,where are you auntie pubes". The poor girl didn't know where to hide her face :)Maybe some kind Thai person could write these two words for me in Thai.

ËÃÇÂ = Mhuay = younger sister (chinese)

ËÃÃÂ = Mhoiy = pube

Mhuay mee mhoiy = young sister has pubic hair.

kon Mhoiy!!

That's hilarious...kids say the darnedest things...

Thanks SB.

So it's the vowel sound that's different, not the tone

Hahahahaha that made me laugh Thanks for sharing!

Moi (sound goes up) pubes

Muay (sound goes up) Chinese girl

I think there is a pretty similar sound in the word "hello" in Finnish I remember a few years back I had this group of friends from Finland and we were teaching each other how to say hello in each other's language and I couldnt stop giggling when they were all "Moi! Moi!" and all I had in my head was um "pubes! pubes!"

Yes I used to be very careful what I said when we went to visit my ex's sister who was Mhuay! In fact the name my ex was called by the family was Jim but I knew better than to try saying it and having to make sure I got the tone right all the time, so I always called her by a different, less dangerous nickname...I best not explain here what Jim can mean, but its definitely not something you want to be calling out in public if not sure of the correct tone!

LOL....

nice jim. smells verrrrrry nice ^__^

yes you are right

"vowel sound that's different, not the tone"

haha

only kids and someone who lost their font teeth have that problem . saying right tone dont need teeth but saying right vowels need it