{"id":4742,"date":"2026-09-04T15:35:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T08:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inlinguabangkok.com\/?p=4742"},"modified":"2026-10-17T13:15:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T06:15:15","slug":"common-thai-english-mistakes-sound-weird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inlinguabangkok.com\/en\/articles\/speaking\/common-thai-english-mistakes-sound-weird\/","title":{"rendered":"15 speaking errors that make Thai people's English sound strange and how to fix them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever spoken English and the other person seemed to understand every word? But still ask, \u201cSorry, what do you mean?\u201d or ask to repeat it again? The problem may not lie in vocabulary alone. But it may come from sentence structure, word choice, pronunciation, or timing that takes the listener more time to interpret.<\/p>\n

speech errors<\/strong> Some are due to the influence of the mother tongue or L1 Transfer, which means the automatic adoption of familiar forms from the first language to English. A simple example is that Thai can omit the subject in some contexts. But English usually requires a subject. Or sometimes we choose English words from their direct translations. Even though native speakers use another set of words in that context.<\/p>\n

However, the point is not to consider the Thai accent \u201cwrong\u201d or to try to sound like a native speaker. The goal of Correct English speaking<\/strong> It should be in clarity. The listener can easily understand the meaning. and language appropriate to the situation<\/p>\n

This article therefore does not invite you to find faults in every sentence, but will take you to separate 15 points that should be noted, along with Before\/After and how to choose which points should be corrected first.<\/p>\n

What kind of errors should be fixed first?<\/h2>\n

If you find yourself having English Speaking Mistakes<\/strong> Many things at once You should not try to solve it all at once. Because it will make you have to think about grammar, vocabulary, and sounds while speaking until you are unable to speak.<\/p>\n

Rank them according to their impact on communication first.<\/p>\n

The point where the meaning changes or the listener misunderstands.<\/h3>\n

This group should have high priority, such as pronouncing one word until the listener hears another word. Omit important words until you don't know who is doing what, or use tenses until the timeline changes.<\/p>\n

example<\/p>\n

Before:<\/strong> \u201cYesterday I go meet client.\u201d After:<\/strong> \u201cYesterday, I went to meet a client.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even the listener may be able to guess the meaning of the first sentence from yesterday<\/em> But the latter style conveys time and structure more clearly.<\/p>\n

A point that makes listening difficult but still understandable.<\/h3>\n

Some items do not directly change the substance. But it makes the listener have to use more energy to follow through, such as stopping every word, emphasizing every word equally, or using unfamiliar collocations.<\/p>\n

These points may be a priority after errors that change the meaning. But it is important when having a meeting, giving a presentation, or having an ongoing conversation.<\/p>\n

Accent differences that don't need to be fixed<\/h3>\n

Not every difference from an American or British accent is speech errors<\/strong> If it is easy for the listener to understand and the sound does not create ambiguity. There is no need to try to erase your own unique pronunciation.<\/p>\n

Use the Priority Matrix easily as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
effect<\/th>\nexample<\/th>\nnumber<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
causing the wrong meaning or sounding like another word<\/td>\nThe final sound is missing, the keyword is wrong.<\/td>\nFix it first.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The listener understands, but it takes effort.<\/td>\nStress or unclear rhythm<\/td>\nSolve the next sequence.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Different but clearly understood<\/td>\nSome accent characteristics<\/td>\nNo need to solve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The main principle is Message Clarity comes before similarity to a native speaker.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Questions 1\u20136: Structure and word choice<\/h2>\n

Item 1: Translate the verbs directly from the Thai language.<\/h3>\n

English direct translation<\/strong> It's one of the reasons why some sentences are grammatically correct but still don't sound familiar. Because each language pairs words differently.<\/p>\n

example<\/p>\n

Before:<\/strong> \u201cI play internet every night.\u201d After:<\/strong> \u201cI browse the internet every night.\u201d or \u201cI go online every night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another example<\/p>\n

Before:<\/strong> \u201cI open the air conditioner.\u201d After:<\/strong> \u201cI turn on the air conditioner.\u201d<\/p>\n

The solution is not to just memorize the translation of the verb, but to memorize the word along with its context, such as: turn on the air conditioner<\/em>, take a break<\/em>, catch a bus<\/em><\/p>\n

See examples of phrases used in sets here. 50+ English phrases to use every day<\/a><\/p>\n

Point 2: Omit the subject or verb that English requires.<\/h3>\n

When speaking quickly, some students may create sentences following Thai language patterns, such as<\/p>\n

Before:<\/strong> \u201cYesterday very busy.\u201d After:<\/strong> \u201cI was very busy yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

or<\/p>\n

Before:<\/strong> \u201cBecause traffic.\u201d After:<\/strong> \u201cBecause the traffic was heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n

A simple exercise is after saying a sentence. Let's check two questions.<\/p>\n

Who\/What?<\/strong> Who or what is the president? Verb?<\/strong> What happened or what condition was it in?<\/p>\n

It's not necessary to grammarly analyze every sentence during a conversation, but by practicing a pattern over and over, you can help the basic structure become more automatic.<\/p>\n

Item 3: Add the Verb to be before the verb or word that is not required.<\/h3>\n

A classic example is:<\/p>\n

Before:<\/strong> \u201cI am agree with you.\u201d After:<\/strong> \u201cI agree with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

because agree<\/em> It already acts as a verb, so you don't need to enter it. am<\/em> front<\/p>\n

compare with<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI am happy.\u201d
\n\u201cI am interested in the project.\u201d
\n\u201cI agree with the proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Instead of remembering \u201cmust have am\u201d or \u201cdon't have am,\u201d notice the pattern of the actual word used.<\/p>\n

Point 4: Use Tense that does not relate to time words.<\/h3>\n

action speak English incorrectly<\/strong> Tense does not have the same effect in all cases. But when the listener doesn't know when the event happened. should be given importance<\/p>\n

Easy to use Timeline<\/p>\n