I'm Not Even Mad, I'm Impressed.

I like a challenge just as much as the next guy, and learning the Thai language is certainly that.

There are five tones: middle, low, high, rising, and falling. The tone distinguishes a word, so for example, "mai" has five different meanings depending on what tone you use. There are tone marks in the Thai script, but the marks are read differently depending on the specific character it appears with, and the combination of consonants and vowels.

There are 44 sounds total in the English sound-box, and there are 44 consonants in the Thai alphabet. There are almost 30 vowel sounds, which are either short or long, and simple or complex. Vowels are either a character or a combination of characters before, after, above, or below the consonant.

Speaking Thai is awkward (and incredibly fun), and learning to read Thai is like cracking a secret code. So, Thai language: I'm not even mad, I'm impressed!