A contrastive study of Thai and Burmese in phonology aspect for Burmese language teaching

Abstract

This article presents a contrastive analysis of the phonological systems of Thai and Burmese. The study aims to identify the differences between the Burmese and Thai sound systems based on Whitman’s (1970) framework, which comprises four stages: description, selection, contrast, and prediction of learner difficulties. The analysis reveals that Burmese has 11 more initial consonant phonemes than Thai, highlighting significant asymmetries in phonemic inventory. Furthermore, while Thai contains a relatively larger number of plain vowels, Burmese categorizes its vowels into three distinct types: oral vowels, nasalized vowels, and glottalized vowels two of which are absent in the Thai phonological system. These unfamiliar vowel categories often lead to confusion among Thai learners, who may misperceive nasalized or glottalized vowels as segments with final consonants. In terms of tonal structure, Burmese employs four tones—low, high, creaky, and killed whereas Thai uses five. Burmese tones, though fewer in number, present particular challenges, especially in distinguishing between the creaky and killed tones. The findings show the importance of instructional strategies that address these phonological gaps. Effective teaching should include minimal pairs, articulatory explanation, and targeted pronunciation materials. In conclusion, this study contributes to developing better ways of teaching Burmese through contrastive phonological analysis.